My mistakes were made for you
by Miss Baby
Summary: Bella and Edward shared a passionate romance during spring break in Florida. Five years later Bella is a single mom living in New York. What happened? Will Bella and Edward ever find their way back to each other again? All human, Canon pairings.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Prologue.**

"Mommy?" a high musical voice resonated through the living room.

"Yes sweetie?" I looked up from my work, seeing my beautiful little five year old standing in front of me, her index finger in her mouth and her brows closely knit together. It was an expression I'd seen God knows how many times. It meant she was going to ask me a question.

"Why don't I have a daddy?"

It was the question I had been dreading since the day she was born. I would have been happy to answer any question she had for me - even the one about where babies came from - but not this one.

Libby's big emerald eyes looked up at me, not knowing she had just ripped the stitches from my heart. Stitches that had been in place for more than five years. I tried to remember the answers I had thought up when I had been rehearsing this conversation in my mind but I couldn't come up with anything.

"Mommy?" Libby asked, her frown increasing and her head slightly dipped to the side. She had noticed something was wrong.

I sighed. Why did she have to be so damn perceptive? I hadn't been able to lie to her since she was three. When she noticed I wasn't telling the truth - or even when I was just editing - she would just roll her eyes and ask the same question again. I knew I had never been good at lying, but I should have at least been able to fool a small child.

I sighted once again, trying to get as much air in my lungs as possible. Let's get this over with.

"You do have a daddy, Libby." I answered. "He's just not...around."

"Why not?" She looked puzzled. "Is it like Danny's dad?" Danny was a boy Libby knew from kindergarten. His father had died last year.

"No honey, your daddy is still alive. Mommy and him just aren't...together. You know...like Felicity's mom and dad."

Felicity and Libby often played together in the park. Felicity's mom, Victoria, was alone like me. Her husband had left her a few years ago. This fact hadn't made Victoria any less of a stuck up heinous bitch though. I'd always wondered how a woman like her could give life to a child as sweet as Felicity when she seemed to be sucking the life out of everyone around her.

"Oh." Her frown was still in place. The barrage of questions hadn't stopped, she just needed some time to process this new information. "Why did you break up?"

I took a deep breath, trying to fight both the tears and the memories that had appeared. Memories I had carefully exiled to the back of my mind in order to function like a normal human being.

"Sometimes..." I couldn't hold back a sob. I hated myself for crying in front of my child. She couldn't help the mess I had made of my life. "Sometimes things just don't work out, sweetie."

Sometime during my last sentence Libby had climbed on my lap. She was now resting her head against my shoulder, comforting me whilst I cried silently into her hair.

At times like these I was grateful that my daughter seemed to have inherited my old soul. My mother had once told me that she thought I had been born thirty-five and had gotten more middle-aged every year. That same thing seemed to apply to Libby.

I knew that my answerers hadn't satisfied her, that sometime soon Libby would ask me about her father again, but I still had no idea about what I was going to tell her. How do you tell an innocent little five year old who still believes fairy tales can happen to normal people that sometimes the world is just...screwed-up?

_**A.N. This story occurred to me when I was on vacation in New York. It may seem a bit strange and overly dramatic now but I promise it will get better. All major characters from the Twilight-series will be in here and of course so will Edward!**_

_**Should I continue? Let me know... **_


	2. Comfort

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**Wow. I'm blown away by the response to this story. Thank you to everybody who reviewed or added this story to their favorites or alerts. It makes me a bit nervous about this chapter though. I hope it's not a disappointment...**_

**Comfort.**

When I'd calmed down again I disentangled myself from my daughter and cleared away the essays I had been grading before. It would be madness to think I was going to get any more work done today.

I thought about calling Emmet and Rose to ask if we could drop by. I was in desperate need of some diversion but above all I really needed to talk about what happened with Libby today and I knew Rose would listen and give me her honest opinion. If anything, my brothers girlfriend was always brutally honest.

"How about we go visit Uncle Emmet and Aunt Rosalie?" I asked Libby.

"Yay! Do you think Uncle Em will play with me?" Libby was bouncing around like a kangaroo at the prospect.

"Don't know if he's home yet sweetie." I answered. "But if he is, I'm sure he'll be more than willing."

My brother used to be a very promising football player until he got injured in his second year as a pro. Together with one of his mates from the varsity team he had opened one of these upscale gyms not that far from their home. It had been a huge success and there was even talk of opening another branch.

The last time we'd been visiting my brother had taken it upon himself to impart the basic principles of football on my little girl. Of course the ball had soon been forgotten and it had turned into something more like a wrestling match where Emmet had let Libby hurtle him around the park. The memory of my tiny little daughter in her little pink dress tackling her 6'5" tall uncle to the ground was still edged into my brain. It had been the most fun I'd had in years.

I picked up my phone and dialed.

"Hello?" Rose answered the phone.

"Hi Rose. How are you?"

"O, things are great over here. Emmet finally put the crib together yesterday, so I can stop bitching about that. The little one's been kicking the crap out of me though, especially at night. Haven't had a decent night's sleep in two weeks. "

"Owww. I know how you feel. It might be genetic, Libby did the same thing." I replied.

"That's it. I'm not having any more babies after this one!" Rosalie laughed.

"Hey Rose, do you think it would be alright if Libby and I came over?"

"Of course it would be! Do you even have to ask?" Rose sounded almost offended.

"Well...I thought you might be tired or something." I replied.

"Bored out of my skull's more like it! I swear, if this baby doesn't come out any time soon, somebody's going to get hurt!"

"Okay, then I guess Libby and I will be there in..." I looked at the clock "...Half an hour?"

"Fine. See ya!"

"Bye Rose"

Libby had already started getting packed, or at least packing the stuff she thought essential for a visit to her favorite – and only - uncle.

I raced through the house, grabbing the bare essentials – purse, keys, money, cell phone – and we where on our way in under ten minutes.

Libby grabbed my hands as we walked from our small apartment in Morningside Heights to my brothers swanky abode on the Upper West Side. As often as I had walked this same route I could never get tired of it. I loved the hectic and anonymity of living in a big city especially compared to the little town of Forks where I grew up. It made me feel alive, like the city unknowingly rubbed some of it's energy off on me.

Libby skipped over the sidewalk - her hand still firmly in mine – towing me along. She was such an unusual child, but I guess that's what every parent would say about their child. She could be active and outgoing one moment and thoughtful and quiet the next. She would spend hours sitting in the windowsill looking at the world beneath her only to comment on some tiny little detail that everyone else overlooked. She sometimes amazed me with her insights into the world. Insights that were way beyond her age.

Her looks where a mix of mine and...his. She had his emerald eyes and flawless pale skin, my nose and curly chocolate colored hair. Behavior-wise she took more after me - which wasn't so strange considering I was her only caregiver – but thank God she'd inherited his graceful way of moving, though for me that pretty much applied to anyone who had the ability to move without falling down or bumping into something. How she had gotten her love for all things pink, however, was beyond me.

"Sammy!" Libby yelled as soon as we'd reached the building my brother lived in. She dropped my hand and ran into the building in search for the doorman. I could hear the laughing from inside where she had probably launched herself into the poor man's arms. It was typical behavior for my daughter. She couldn't be in a building for five minutes without befriending every living creature inside. So as soon as she could walk and talk she had made it her duty to get to know every person in our building and Emmet's and made them tell her their life's stories.

"Are you coming Libby?" I asked, pausing by the tangle of doorman-red and Libby-pink. "You wouldn't want to keep Uncle Emmet waiting now would you?"

Libby squealed and ran towards the elevator.

"Sorry about that!" I apologized, smiling at the now scruffy looking doorman.

"My pleasure, Bella." The doorman replied laughing.

My daughter was already standing in the elevator, tapping her foot and huffing with impatience. As soon as I had set foot into the elevator she raised her arms so I could hoist her in the air to press the button for Emmet's floor.

"What do you know! It's the Squirt and the baby Squirt!" Emmet called as soon as he opened the door.

I could faintly see a squealing flash of pink and brown flying past me and launching itself into Emmet's arms. It was their traditional greeting ritual. Emmet's thundering laugh joined Libby's when he whirled her around the hall of his apartment.

Before I even registered that my brother had put Libby back on the ground I was lifted into the arms of my big burly brother and squished into a bear hug.

"Em...can't...breath!" I managed to squeak.

"Sorry, sis!" He laughed, dropping me to the floor and ruffling my hair with one of his huge hands. "Forgot that you're of the more breakable variety."

I glared at him. It wasn't like he hadn't accidentally put me in hospital before!

I heard a soft chuckle coming from behind my brother and walked further into the apartment to greet his girlfriend.

Rose and I had met four years ago. Not wanting to leave his baby sister open to the dangers of the big city my brother had forced me to take self-defense classes almost as soon as I had given birth to Libby. He wouldn't take no for an answer, not even after I'd explained to him that I was more likely to get hurt trying to learn how to defend myself than I would ever be walking the streets of New York.

Rose, who taught my self-defense class, and I had taken an instant dislike to each other. Rose had thought I was a whiny stuck up literary snob and I thought she was just another brainless blond Barbie.

We got to know each other when she had to take me to the emergency room after I had sprained my wrist during the fourth lesson. I had just been thinking about how proud I was to have made it through three whole lessons without breaking anything when my sparring partner had unexpectedly decided to practice a shoulder throw. Instead of absorbing the blow with my back and legs and roll gracefully onto my knees like I had been taught, I dived head first into the mats and collapsed unto my wrist like a sack of potato.

While we had been waiting for the doctor to see me we talked and got to know each other. I found out that Rosalie had started taking martial arts classes when she was fifteen after she'd been attacked in the street by a group of drunken men. It had helped her get through what had happened to her, made her feel less like a victim. She had found out that my whinyness had been born out of experience and that it was shyness and not snobbishness that made me seem a bit distant.

In spite of all our differences we'd become friends and after a while I had even set her up on a blind date with my brother. They had immediately hit it off – the ex-model and the ex- football player – and moved in together last year, a huge step for my brother. He had nearly had a heart attack when she told him she was pregnant a few months later.

"Baby Squirt?" I was startled from my thoughts by the thundering voice of my brother.

"Yes Uncle Em?"

"What do you say we leave these two lovely ladies to talk and we go out to the park for a second football lesson?"

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" Libby replied, once again bouncing in place.

Emmet picked up my daughter, grabbed the ball and bounded out of the apartment, the sounds of their laughter resounding through the building.

As soon as they had gone Rose pulled me into the living room where a steaming teapot and a huge plate of chocolate chip cookies where waiting for us.

I was completely baffled. Rose was a good friend, don't get me wrong, but she hardly ever noticed the world outside her own little bubble and though she was a fierce protector of the people she loved, she wasn't the kind of person to pour your heart out to over tea and cookies. She was more the kind of person who went out and kicked whoever hurt you in the balls.

"What brought all this on, Rose? Are you...nesting?" I asked, once my speech had returned.

"Don't you say a word missy!" She said pricking one of her perfectly manicured fingers in my chest with every word. I subconsciously retreated to a safer corner of the room.

"You call me, sounding all teary and miserable making me go all soft and hormonal. You're the one who owes the explanations around here!" she barked.

She pointed towards the sofa and I sat, not daring to argue with my formidable future sister in law when she was like that. She sat down next to me, poured the tea and shoved a cup into my hands, the hot liquid nearly spilling over my hands.

"I'm waiting..." she said, tapping her nails against her cup. Suddenly I knew what the victims of the Spanish Inquisition must have felt like.

"Well...Libby asked me about her dad today." I blurted out.

"What?" Rose nearly fell from the sofa. "Bella, are you alright?"

"Yeah, at least I think so. It was just...hard. Harder than I ever expected it to be." I answered, looking at my fingers while the tears made a reappearance.

"What did you say?"

"Just that she had a dad, just like everybody else, but that her dad wasn't around."

"How did she react?"

"She was okay about it. Don't think she's completely satisfied though. She only held of on further questioning because of me..."

"Why? What did you do?"

"I cried. I couldn't help myself..." the tears now streaming freely down my face. "God! I hate myself for doing this to her!"

"Doing what?" Rosalie said, pulling me into an embrace as tight as her present condition allowed. "Honey, you didn't do anything wrong. In fact, you deserve a medal.."

"Sure I do," I snorted in between sobs. "The medal for the biggest mess ever created by a single person."

"NO BELLA" Rose's voice sounded fierce and I suddenly understood why her colleagues at the fashion magazine where she worked called her 'the barracuda'. "If there's anyone fit for sainthood it's YOU. You had to go through loosing your father, finding out you got knocked up by some bastard who's abandoned you and breaking with your mother all in one week and not only did you survive THAT, you also managed to bring up the most beautiful little girl and graduate with honors from and Ivy League school!"

"He didn't abandon me, Rose" I murmured trying to brake free from her hold.

"Did he ever call you?"

"No...but..."

"Did he ever e-mail you?"

"No...but Rose..."

"Did he ever send a carrier pigeon to your house?"

"No, but Rose, what if something went wrong? What if he never got my message? What if..."

"If he had wanted to contact you, no force on earth could have stopped him. But he didn't. That's abandonment in my book!" She huffed.

I hated when Rose talked about Edward like that. Libby's words might have ripped open the stitches that had held my heart together for the last five years, Rose's words actually drew blood. It all came back to me in a rush. Having to run away from my own little slice of heaven with nothing but a note to explain what happened, going from extreme happiness to utter devastation in the span of two days...

I remembered lying in Edwards arms after the best night of my life feeling as if I could burst with happiness. Not 48 hours later I sat by the lifeless body of my father and five weeks later it had felt like my foundations had been kicked out from underneath me. I had gone from a promising student who had her future laid out for her to a single mom, alone in the world with no one but my two best friends and my brother to support her.

Underneath it all there had always been a feeling, almost a certainty, that something must have gone wrong. Edward wouldn't abandon me like that. He just...wouldn't.

I was near hysterics now. Curled up into a ball against Rose.

"I...don't...know...why...her...questions...got...to...me...like...that...I...thought...I'd...put...it...all...behind...me." I managed to stammer in between sobs.

"You know as well as I do that you never 'put it behind you', honey." I'd never imagined Rose to be capable of sounding soothing "You may have been able to ignore it, but you know as well as I do that you still love him."

She was right. I still loved him. Even after all these years. Even after all the pain and the suffering. I still loved him...so much.

"What do I do, Rose?"

"The same thing you've done every time this has happened: grin and bear it. I wish anything I could say or do could help you get through this but you know you have to do this on your own. And you will, darling, because you have to."

I sobbed onto Rose's shoulder until I started to feel in control again. Rose was right. I would bear this. I had to.

"Now," Rose's voice had regained it's usual perkiness. "Are you ever going to tell me a little more about this elusive Edward?"

I had expected this from her. She had tried every time his name had somehow come up in our conversations. She couldn't stand not knowing anything about the man who had managed to cause such upheaval in the lives of her loved ones.

I had never told anyone about Edward. Well, nothing apart from his first name, the admission that I had been in love with him and the fact that he was the father of my baby. Only my best friend Angela knew the full truth and she would never tell.

At first I had done this to protect him. I knew that as soon as my brother found out his last name was Cullen he would round up all available phone books and start calling every Cullen living in the United States until he found the one that had knocked the little squirt up. When he'd found him he would of course track him down and beat him into a pulp and as much as he had hurt me, he didn't deserve that.

It had all been my own fault. I had been the naive little country girl that had mistaken a common flirtation for true love. I still don't know how I could have been so stupid. Edward Cullen being, after all, light years out of my league. Me and him together would have been like a donkey competing in the Kentucky Derby!

Later I'd kept my mouth shut out of self preservation. After I had painstakingly stitched my heart back together I didn't want people to keep bringing him up. I didn't want to think about him because it hurt too much.

Rose seemed to have other thoughts on that matter though. She thought I'd never get through this as long as I didn't face the bare facts.

I don't know how long Rose and I sat like that when I heard the voices of Emmet and Libby, sounding like two soldiers returning from the battlefield. Luckily my tears had dried some time ago. At least I wouldn't look like a total mess.

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Libby screamed running into the living room.

"Yes, baby?"

"Uncle Emmet taught me how to make a_ field goal_!" She yelled, emphasizing the last two words like they held some kind of vital importance. I tried to remember what a field goal was but couldn't be sure. I had always been careful to avoid all kinds of sports since to me they only meant ending up in the ER.

"Wait...is that the thing where they try to kick the ball in between those stake-things?" I asked.

Libby merely huffed at my ignorance of the proper sports terminology, shot me a crushing glare and turned towards Rosalie, nearly sending her uncle into hysterics.

"I'd better get Libby home. It's getting pretty late," I said, trying to get up from the sofa.

"I have a better idea..." my brother claimed. "How about we order some Chinese and have an all night penguin and ogre marathon!" He continued, hi-fiveing Libby.

Rosalie and I rolled our eyes. Emmet was such a child sometimes!

"Can we mommy?" Libby asked, unleashing the full power of her pout.

"You know I can't say no when you look at me like that!" I replied, playfully scolding her.

The rest of the evening was filled with laughter and happiness. I was glad to be able to forget the drama and focus on the good things to come. I had everything to be happy about. I had a great job and was blessed with the most amazing little girl anyone could ever imagine. I was surrounded by people who loved me – warts and all – and soon I would become a first time aunt.

Emmet ordered enough Chinese to feed an entire army and proceeded to eat through at least half of it. After we where done eating the penguin and ogre marathon started. Though every one had seen 'Happy Feet' at least half a dozen times we still couldn't help laughing. Libby and Emmet's reactions making the movie extra funny. I nearly rolled of the couch when Emmet tried to re-enact the dancing routines, almost breaking the glass coffee table in the process. Rose and I held onto each other trying to catch our breath.

Somewhere during 'Shrek' Libby had fallen asleep on Emmet's lap and since I nearly dozed off myself I decided to call it a night. Emmet offered to walk me home, an offer I gratefully accepted knowing I'd have a hard time carrying Libby home all by myself.

When we got home Emmet carefully placed Libby in her bed, giving me some space to put on her pajama's. She never woke up, not even when I had to pry her little arms out of her dress. When I was done I gently eased her down on her bed again., kissed her goodnight and placed her Emmet Bear – a teddy bear Rose and Emmet had given her when she was born – in her hands.

"Thanks for tonight, big brother." I said to Emmet, who was still standing in the hallway.

"Don't mention it, squirt. You would've done the same for me." he gave me another one of his bone crushing hugs and left. Emmet and I where never ones for big speeches.

I bolted the door and sighed. I was dead on my feet but I didn't want to go to sleep, knowing full well my dreams would be about him. The dreams would come every time I would think too much about him during the day and though I loved dreaming about him, the pain that always followed was hard to bear.

_**A few things about this story:**_

_**I know this chapter may be a bit confusing about what happened between Edward and Bella. Don't worry, everything will be explained in later chapters. Also: Bella might come across as a blubbering mess in this chapter, she's just surprised about Libby's questions. She'll be much more composed in the next few chapters. I promise. The things that happened in the past will be explained in flashback-chapters, the next chapter being the first of them (involving Edward, Bella and a beach...) **_

_**If you have any questions/remarks about this story or about me. I'm still pretty new at all this so even if you didn't like this chapter, or my story, let me know what I can do to better myself. I also think I may be in serious need of a Beta. English isn't my first language, as you may have noticed, and though I've proofread this chapter twice I'm still afraid there will be a lot of mistakes. So if there are any Beta's out there willing to help, please let me know.**_

_**Did I mention how happy I was about the response to the prologue?**_

_**Okay, I'll stop now... (I don't usually leave authors notes this long...)**_


	3. Spring Break

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Flashback: Spring Break.**

What the hell was I thinking when I agreed to this? Had I been on drugs?

What. The. Hell.

It was all Jessica's fault of course. Jessica and my mom where behind this torture. When Jess had first suggested the four of us spend spring break in Panama City I had just rejected. I'd rather give birth to a nest of vipers than spend a week surrounded by a bunch of horny drunk idiots.

Unfortunately Jessica had brought the whole matter up again when my mom had been visiting me. Of course my mom had been over the moon and had ordered me to go, refusing to see reason. She had always been afraid that I was missing out on things because I had my nose buried in a book. She scolded me for my 'unnatural' behavior and said that I should be out there, enjoying myself and experiencing the joys of student life.

Whenever she wanted me to go out more she would always have some kind of horror story prepared about a reclusive old lady being found dead and half eaten by her cats. She just couldn't accept that I was having fun and being happy, but that I just did that in a different way than she had when she was younger.

When Jessica had brought up the idea about Spring Break my mom had almost jumped up and hugged her, she was so glad that finally her daughter would have a chance to do 'normal' student things. She even paid for the trip, knowing I didn't have the money to cover for it since I needed every penny to pay for my education at Yale. With all my excuses out of the way there had been no other way than to accept Jessica's invitation with as much grace as I could muster and let myself be dragged off to Florida.

So here I was, Bella Swan, on a beach. Five words I'd never thought I'd put together in a sentence. I was more of an indoor kind of girl. Always had been, always will. Give me a book and some nice music and I'll be perfectly happy.

Everywhere I looked I was surrounded by an ocean of half naked people. I'd never looked more out of place in my entire life. My own, modest one piece bathing suit seemed almost like a nuns habit amongst the barely there bikini's most of the other girls where wearing and my skin was way too white for a beach. This morning before I had allowed someone to drag me to my own personal hell I had carefully covered every inch of exposed skin in sunblock, remembering the last time I had gone sunbathing. I had fallen asleep in the backyard and had woken up red as a lobster. The burns on my feet had been the worst. I hadn't been able to wear any kind of shoe for a weak and only flipflops for two weeks after that.

I turned towards Angela who was lying on the deck chair next to me frantically trying to ignore the couple dry humping on her other side. Thank God she was here with me or I would have gone mad. She seemed every bit as uncomfortable as me. Every bit as tired too.

We had arrived late last night, dead on our feet and dying to get to bed. When Jessica had come back from the front desk to where we had crashed onto our suitcases stating there had been a 'slight problem' I had wanted to personally rip off both her arms.

"_Erm...Sorry guys, the people of the motel seem to have made a mistake." Jessica had said in a slightly panicky voice.._

"_What kind of mistake?" Lauren grunted and for once I really loved her. I was really too tired to __be_ _ripping of arms and I was glad to notice at least somebody still had the energy for it. You could always count on Lauren in a situation like this._

"_Well, I specifically requested two twin-bedded rooms, but we only got one. I guess we have to share." She explained, looking a little frightened in Laurens direction._

_I breathed a sigh of relief. If that was all it couldn't be too bad. I'd share a bed with Angela and Jess and Lauren could take the other one._

"_Let's just get up to our rooms." I suggested, waking past Lauren who was still huffing with indignation._

_Lauren hadn't been too happy about our accommodations in the first place. Being a Mallory she was used to five-star tropical resorts and cheap motels obviously weren't her thing. But since the rest of us stemmed from more modest backgrounds she had had to settle for this._

_When we got up to our room I immediately dismissed the idea of getting any sleep that night. We where on the first floor, overlooking the pool which would have been nice had it not been for the screaming uproar that was taking place over there. The beds where tiny and way to bouncy for my taste. When Angela crawled in next to me she nearly send me flying into the wall._

_Next to me Jess and Angela appeared to be in a full fledged bitchfight about who was hugging the blankets. As I held on to the side of the mattress, trying not to fall on the ground I could hear the distinct sound of someone vomiting into the pool. Charming._

_I almost dozed off somewhere during the night when I was startled by the sound of some idiot running around the pool screaming how some skank wanted to have sex with him._

"_Way to go, champion." Angela murmured sleepily turning around, nearly launching me into the wall. Again._

_Oh God. I was in my own personal hell._

I was brought back from my thoughts by a volleyball flying inches past my head.

"Sorry!" a girl cried as she dashed past me, her boobs nearly flying out of her top as she ran..

"Ange, I think I'm going to go back to our room and try and try to sleep a little. Are you coming with me?"

Angela nodded violently like she was just as anxious to get away from here as I was. When we passed the pool on our way up we heard Jessica's high pitched squeal coming from the pool.

"Bella! Angela! There you are! Come join me in the pool. The water is lovely!"

"No, thanks." I replied, remembering the noises from last night. I debated warning Jessica about the fact that she was swimming around in other peoples vomit, but I didn't think she would listen to me. She was too busy eying up the male population.

Angela and I actually managed to get some sleep before we had to get up to get ready for our night of clubbing. Jessica had harassed me into it, threatening to call my mom if I said no. She seemed to determined to force this spring break thing on us. In the end Angela decided to come with me to offer moral support.

--

A few hours later Angela and I found ourselves sitting in the upstairs lounge-area of a club staring at the pandemonium beneath us.

As soon as we had entered the club Lauren and Jessica had bailed on us in search of hot men. They where now in the middle of the dance floor grinding into each other.

"Oh my God! Are they going to do what I think they are going to do?" Angela shrieked.

Jess and Lauren, apparently not satisfied with the amount of response to their dancing had started to 'perform' their lesbian-act and where now engaged in a full on kiss.

If it was male attention they where after, they sure had it now. Every man around them had stopped dancing and was staring at them, eyes glazed over. Some where even starting to drool a little.

I rolled my eyes at Angela. "I'm going to get us some drinks. What are you having?" I asked.

"Just a coke please." she replied.

I squeezed my way through the crowds and waited at the bar for the bartender to notice me when I felt a hand on my ass. I brushed it away and turned to look into the face of a very drunk frat boy who was now staring blatantly at my breasts.

"Mmmmy...nnnname...issssssss...C...Ch...Chuck..." he slurred. "Wwwwwhat's... your...nnnnname?" While he was talking he dangerously swayed in my direction, nearly falling from his barstool.

"I'm Bella" I replied. Waving over to the bartender so I could get the hell away from Chuck the Sponge.

"Bel-la...huhuhuh..." Chuck seemed to think I had said something extremely funny. "Yyyou... know ...t...th...that means...beautiful...in Italian?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, Chuck, I've never heard that one before," I said mockingly, hoping Chuck would pick up on the fact that I really wasn't interested. Unfortunately I had no such luck. Maybe if he had been looking at my face he would have noticed my disgusted looks, but unfortunately his eyes where still fixed on my boobs.

At that point I seriously considered flashing the bartender to get his attention. Luckily one of them had seen me and I was ready to place my order. The man seemed puzzled by my request for two cokes and made me repeat my order twice, no doubt convinced he'd missed what kind of liquor I wanted in my drinks. Like I was going to drink in a place like this! I wasn't exactly a teetotaler, but I sure as hell wasn't crazy. If I got myself boozed up I'd only end up being felt up – or worse – by some guy like Chuck who – by the way - at that moment was roaring with laughter about something.

As soon as the waiter had cleared off to get my drinks, Chuck returned his attention to me, still laughing about something. Oh boy...

"Bel-la," he started, leaning in my direction. "I'm...Chuck" he swayed dangerously on his stool and I had to suppress the urge to help him. He might be a pig, but I knew first hand how it felt to fall of a barstool.

"Yes. You already told me." Why did I always have to attract the total losers. Was there some kind of sign over my head saying 'I'm desperate' or something?

"I'm Chuck...a...a...and...I...like...to...ffffu.."

"Whoa there!"I interrupted him, quickly grabbing my drinks and throwing the money on the bar. "Too much information, Chuck!" I added as I quickly got away from pervy Chuck.

I could faintly hear a thud over the thundering basses of the music and turned to see Chuck lying next to his barstool like a burst balloon. I shook my head and proceeded towards Angela.

"What took you so long?" She yelled. "I had to call Ben twice - you hear me TWICE – because some of those perverts over there wouldn't believe I had a boyfriend!" she complained pointing towards what looked like a football team made up of grinning drunk idiots.

"Sorry Ange, I had my own battles to fight over at the bar." I apologized.

Angela eyed me curiously.

"Believe me, you don't want to know." I added, rolling my eyes at the memory of pervy Chuck.

Right about that moment a very drunk Lauren swaggered over to where we where sitting.

"I think I had a little to much to drink." she managed to slur before throwing up on the floor right next to where Angela was sitting, tumbling onto one of the couches and falling asleep.

"We'd better get her home." Angela sighed. "Thank God, that means we can get out of here!"

"You take Lauren home, I'll go and tell Jess, okay?" I asked.

"Fine by me." she replied, hoisting Lauren up and dragging her towards the exit.

"I'll be right behind you." I said scanning the dance floor for a sign of Jessica. I found her in the arms of a spotty college boy of the kind she normally wouldn't allow within a ten feet radius of her. Guess she must be just as drunk as Lauren.

She looked up, just as I was looking at her. "Bella!" she shrieked, the music drowning out the sound of her voice. She stuck her hand in the air, urging me to come over to her.

Shaking my head to myself I made my way to the stairs, dodging all drunk on my way before carefully descending.

Of course me being me...I fell.

Fortunately I bumped into something soft on my way and remained conscious – though a little fuzzy - in spite of my fall. I could hear Jessica standing over me screaming bloody murder. A rich velvety voice I didn't know answered her I would be alright.

"I'm fine Jess, really" I managed to croak.

"Are you sure?" She asked, not so much concerned but more annoyed that I had ruined her perfect evening with one of my displays of clumsiness.

"Perfectly fine Jess" I said, trying to open my eyes. "Go back to what's his name."

She didn't wait for any evidence of my wellbeing but just swaggered off to where her latest 'conquest' was standing.

I finally managed to open my eyes, taking a good look at the man I assumed belonged to the strange velvety voice I had heard. He was tall, beautiful. His hair a strange bronze color, his green eyes fixed on me, their expression worried and...enthralled? He was strong too. I could see the outline of his muscular arms and chest through his button up shirt.

He somehow reminded me of a young Mr Darcy - one of the main characters from my favorite novel and my secret crush since I was twelve – but then again he was sexier than Mr. Darcy. It was his hair. It was messy and perfect and it just oozed raw sex.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Think so," I muttered. "My head hurts a little but I don't think I'm bleeding or concussed." I said, assessing my injuries.

"I gather you have experience with this sort of thing?" he asked, a crooked smile appearing on his lips. I nearly fainted at the sight of it.

"More than you can imagine." I sighed.

"I'm Edward by the way. Edward Cullen."

"Bella Swan" I replied, taking his hand. A strange sort of electric current passed through me when we touched and I nearly dropped his hand in shock. I wondered if he had felt the same thing, but didn't dare to look up.

I let him help me up and lead me towards the lounging area. He carefully placed me on the sofa before taking a seat next to me. For the moment all thoughts of Lauren, Jessica and even Angela had vanished I could only think about me and Edward sitting on a sofa. Together.

I was to nervous to say something, afraid that if I did I would be spitting out word vomit and ruin my chances forever. The good thing was that he seemed nervous too. He kept stealing glances at me from the corner of my eyes, his lips moving as if he was trying to say something. Could it be that he was actually interested in _me_?

"So, what was that you where saying about Mr. Darcy earlier?" he finally asked.

OH MY GOD! Did I say all of that out loud? Stupid Bella!

"Uhm...nothing. Just something I thought about...Jane Austen fan," I muttered, still fascinated by his hair. I wondered what it would be like to touch it.

Think of something else Bella. Anything! I looked up at his face with seemed to hold a look of curious amusement. I followed his eyes to see my own hand hanging midair between my shoulder and his head.

Oh no! Tell me I didn't just nearly touch his hair! Stupid stupid Bella!

I had no doubt blushed a new shade of red, because his face had become worried again.

"Come. Let's get some fresh air." he said, picking me up and carrying me out of the club bridal style before I could say anything.

I was too frightened of doing something stupid to object. He carried me out of the club across the road and onto the beach where he plopped down on a deck chair never relinquishing his hold on me.

I was suddenly hyper aware of the fact that I was currently on a nearly deserted beach, wrapped in the arms of a man who looked like he just came sauntering out of a 'Cool Water'-commercial.

"I should get back to Jess before she makes an utter fool of herself with that guy she met." I sighed, after a few moments had passed. It was the last thing I wanted to do right now.

"Why?" he sounded slightly disappointed.

"I'm just afraid she's going to run of and _marry_ the guy." I said, unable to hide my disgust of the word 'marriage'.

"Oh, I think she's perfectly able to take care of herself." he laughed, strengthening his hold on me. I leaned back into his chest and closed my eyes. I tried to get my head around what was going on. Did this lovechild of Doctor McSteamy and Mr. Darcy actually want to spend time with _me_?

"I take it you're not a great fan of matrimony?" he asked. There was something in his voice I couldn't quite put a name to.

"Not really!" I laughed. "My mom and dad have been married for twenty-five years now, at least twenty of which they've spent hating each others guts. I guess that kind of put me off the whole marriage thing. Plus...I really don't like being the center of attention and that's kind of what the whole wedding thing is about. Isn't it? Spending half a day getting dressed up so a whole bunch of freeloaders can stare at you whilst getting drunk on your expenses."

"I guess when you look at it like that, weddings seem kind of pointless." he laughed, before turning serious again. "I've always thought of them as the fulfillment of the love two people have for one another. But I guess that's easy for me to say since my parents still love each other just as much – if not more - as they did on their wedding day."

I sighed, breathing in his delicious scent. "Hmmmm. It's hard to argue with you when you put it like that."

"So you're not completely against marriage after all?" he asked.

"Perhaps a small Vegas ceremony performed by some terrible Elvis impersonator would be just about bearable."

Edward nearly rolled of our chair laughing, his chest shaking violently making my body shake with him. I sat up and tried to glare at him but failed miserably. His laughter was just too contagious.

"Gee, thanks for making fun of my 'perfect' wedding!" I said, playfully jabbing his shoulder. It probably hurt me more than it hurt him though.

"You weren't serious, were you?" he asked, still laughing.

"I might have been..." I started.

He looked at me wide-eyed. "_Come on_ Bella! How could any Jane Austen fan possibly let herself be married by _Elvis_! Where's the romance in that!" he yelled unbelievingly.

I took some time to ponder his words. He was right I guess. Getting married by Elvis wasn't exactly the summit of romance but then again, I'd never been in love till now so I've never given much thought to weddings.

Wait a minute? Did I just admit to myself that I was in love with Edward? Had the alcohol fumes gone to my head? I'd only known the guy for an hour at most. How could I possible be in love with him or discuss things like weddings?

I looked up at him to see him frowning at me. He was waiting for me to say something.

"Then tell me, what is your idea of the perfect wedding?" I asked.

"I'd tell you, but you'd have to close your eyes." he replied, smiling his crooked smile again.

"What?" I probably looked as puzzled as I was.

"You have to see it to fully appreciate it." he whispered in my ear, sending shivers all over my body. "Trust me..."

"Kay..." I said - my voice quivering slightly – closing my eyes. I'd do anything if he asked me like that.

"Imagine a meadow..." he started in a voice that was almost dreamy "A small, perfectly round meadow bordered by trees on three sides and a bubbling stream on the other. It's spring. The sun shines on the few selected guests sitting on folding chairs surrounded by wildflowers. " I sighed. It sounded perfect.

"The bride's wearing a simple summery white dress, the groom a plain black tux. They stand in the middle of the meadow as the minister joins them in marriage but they don't hear a single word he says. They only have eyes for each other."

"Wow." I managed to sigh, taking a shaky breath.

I refused to open my eyes. Not ready to part with the perfect scene in front of me. For a moment I wondered if he – like me - had imagined it was the two of us together in that meadow but I almost immediately dismissed the thought, reminding myself again that we'd only met about an hour ago.

I was shaken from my thoughts by the feeling of something soft and warm, brushing lightly against my lips. It couldn't be...could it? Please God let it be true! Please God let this demigod be kissing me!

I cautiously opened one eye, only to see his face so close we were almost touching. His lips hovered over mine, like he was afraid to proceed without my permission. Trembling with fear and anticipation I leaned forward and closed the gap.

The kiss seemed to last forever, but was still far to short. Our lips moved in perfect unison, like they had been made to do this. When he pulled away we where both panting for air. I leaned my forehead against his, breathing in his sweet scent. I felt like I was on some kind of high.

"I'm sorry." he gasped, leaning away from me.

What? Why was he sorry? Was I such a bad kisser? Did he have enough of me already?

"Why?" I asked, my panic very audible.

"I asked you to trust me and then I took advantage of you by kissing you. I'm sorry" he muttered, still trying to catch his breath.

I let out a shaky laugh. "Technically, I started the kiss so you have nothing to worry about. In fact, you could take advantage of me any time you like. I don't mind."

His lips came crashing down on mine again, out second kiss much more passionate than our first. I parted my lips, urging him to deepen the kiss and he willingly obliged. I felt like I was going to spontaneously combust when I felt his tongue gently caress mine. Somehow during our kiss my hands had ended up in his hair, holding on for dear life.

Neither of us wanted to be the one to break the kiss. In the end it was Edward who pulled away first. Right on time because the black spots had started to dance in front of my eyes.

"Breathe, Bella," he whispered against my overheated skin, gently brushing a few strands of loose hair out of my face.

I took in a shaky breath. "Wow, that was..."

"Exquisite" he added.

We spend the rest of the night talking and kissing. I'd never felt this comfortable around someone in my entire life. It felt like I could tell him anything. I found out he was a second year medical student at Dartmouth and that his friends had dragged him out here for a 'week of fun' but so far he was having just about as much fun as I was.

When the rosy glow of breaking dawn appeared on the horizon we both knew it was time to go. Angela would be worried sick about me not coming home.

Edward walked me back to the hotel, never letting go of my hand. He seemed a little put out about when he saw the place I was staying but he never said a word.

He walked me to my door and tenderly kissed me goodnight.

"Would you like to spend the day with me?" he asked nervously.

"I'd love to." I said. "How about you pick me up around one, or is that too early?" I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight.

"Deal." he chuckled, kissing me one last time and walking away. I missed him already.

I opened the door to find two snoring drunks and one grinning minister's daughter.

"Guess I don't have to ask how your night was." Angela smirked, patting the space on the bed next to her.

"Sorry I bailed on you Ange. I fell down the stairs and Edward took me out to get some air. I guess we forgot about the time."

"Don't worry!" Angela laughed. "Jessica told me all about you and _Edward_ when she got back." She added with an evil glint in her eyes. "Sooooo...tell me about this _Edward_."

I told her everything about what had happened from the moment I fell down the stairs to saying goodbye, Angela's eyes growing in size with every new sentence.

"Wow" she sighed when I was done.

"Yeah, I seem to be saying that a lot around him as well." I laughed.

"You'd better try to get some sleep." she said. "You wouldn't want to fall asleep on your big date tomorrow, would you?"

I said goodnight to Angela and attempted to get as comfortable as possible on the little deathtrap of a bed. Before I dozed off I tried to take stock of the situation. I shouldn't be feeling the way I felt. It was too much too soon. But since the first time Edward and I touched it was like something had shifted inside my body. I could see my future with him laid out before me as clear as if I was watching a movie. It scared me almost as much as it set my body on fire.

In the end I couldn't reconcile my head and my heart. I decided to just follow my mother's advice and go with the flow.

Of three things however I was absolutely certain:

1. Spring break rules.

2. Panama City is a slice of heaven.

3. I was completely and irrevocably in love with Edward Cullen.

_**I've never spent spring break in Florida, but from what I've seen and heard about it, it doesn't differ that much from the Spanish Costa's in summer which – unfortunately – I do have some experience with. I've used some of the things that happened to me in this chapter. Unfortunately all the bits with Edward in them are figments of my own imagination.**_

_**Further on in this story you'll get parts of this chapter in Edwards POV. **_

_**Please review and maybe (if I get enough reviews) I'll give you a second chapter this week.**_


	4. Showdown

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**Again: Thanks so much to the people who reviewed the last chapter. It really made my day to come back from a day of standing on a freezing cold beach with a bunch of fourteen year olds and read all of them. I'm glad you all liked the flashback. I hope you won't be disappointed about the fact that we're back in 'present time' again for this chapter.**_

**Showdown.**

Good morning ladies and gentlemen" I greeted my class.

"Today we'll be discussing one of the most tragic and misunderstood characters in nineteenth century English literature," I started, building up the tension. "Mrs. Bennet."

I glanced around the room. Some pupils had started laughing, others just looked puzzled.

"Most of you, upon reading the book, would probably have seen her as some sort of comic relief, but when you look at the story bearing in mind the social climate of the Regency period she really is rather pitiful"

I had the undivided attention of most of my class now.

"She's trapped in a marriage with a man that dispises her, her children don't seem to take her serious and her prospects are very grim to say the least. Her husband is probably considerably older than she is – as was the common custom for marriages in her age – and will therefore probably die first. When he does, she will be turned out of her house by some distant relative of her husbands and reduced to poverty, unless one of her daughters will find a very rich husband. She has no fortune, the law prevents her from inheriting her husbands property and there where very few respectable means for women of her social standing to earn a living." I explained.

"On top of that, at the beginning of the book all of her five daughters are unmarried and have no real prospects of finding a suitable marriage candidate any time soon. As a mother, it was Mrs. Bennets task to safe her daughters from the dreary specter of spinsterhood but especially her oldest two seemed determined to frustrate every exertion on her side. If I where her, I'd be a nervous wreck too!"

I gave my pupils some time to consider my words before I continued. "Now I'm not saying that Mrs. Bennet's the brightest fish in the pond, she surely isn't and yes, she has a tendency to overreact to things, but I think that when you look at the events in Pride and Prejudice from her point of view you'll agree that she's more tragic than ridiculous."

I saw that some of the kids could see my point, others where more hesitant. This was what I loved about teaching; being able to make children look at things from another perspective, to make them think outside the box and learn something in the process.

"That bring me to the essence of todays lesson: your assignment."

Some of the kids groaned, others looked curious to hear what I had planned for them.

"The assignment you'll be working on for next weeks class will be to rewrite a chapter of Pride & Prejudice from Mrs. Bennet's point of view. Some of you will be asked to read their chapter aloud. I'll be very curious to see what you make of it."

Immediately after I had handed out the papers with a detailed description of the assignment on them one of my pupils raised her hands.

"What is it Jane?" I asked, a small sigh escaping my mouth.

I had been expecting this. There hadn't been a single lesson this year in which Jane or Alec Volturi hadn't found fault with something I did. They where the children – twins – of Aro Volturi, the headmaster of this school and thought that therefore they deserved a spacial treatment.

"You can't expect us to write a complete chapter in one week!" she huffed indignantly. "We have other assignments too you know!"

Her brother nodded feverishly beside her, the rest of the class just held still. They had witnessed several showdowns between the Volturi-twins and me this year and they knew what was to come.

I squared my shoulders and took on a determined stance.

I wasn't a very strict kind of person by nature, but I'd found out soon enough that in order to hold my own as one of the youngest members of staff in an prestigious Manhattan Prep school I had to be strict and unyielding sometimes.

"There will be no exceptions, Miss Volturi. So I suggest you'll find a way to deliver your work on time." I replied, keeping my eyes fixed on Jane, who was shaking her head angrily in reply.

"If you do not wish to apply yourself then I suggest you take your belongings and leave, miss Volturi. You know I set high standards for all my pupils and your parents would expect nothing less of me." I stated calmly.

"My father will hear of this!" Jane shrieked, before sweeping her books into her bag and dramatically storming out of the classroom, her brother hot on her heels. It was their standard reaction to my bringing up their father.

I looked at my watch, I had only three more minutes before the bell would sound.

"Are there any questions about the assignment or the book?" I asked.

One of the boys asked something about how he was supposed to put himself in the position of a middle aged mother of five, much to the hilarity of his classmates.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out somehow, Demetri," I replied before dismissing the class and packing up my things.

--

I managed to drag myself to one of the sofa's in the staff room and plopped down, not bothering about looking graceful.

"You look like you could do with some caffeine!" Jasper laughed, handing me a mug filled with the mouthwatering black liquid. I fought back a moan as I took my first big gulp.

"Don't get me started!" I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"Alec?"

"Jane."

"What did she do this time?"

"She almost accused me of child abuse because I gave her an assignment. When I told her to either do what she was told or get the hell out of my classroom she stormed out."

Jaspers mouth fell open. "You actually told Jane to shove off?"

"Yup. So I guess I'll be expecting a visit from daddy sometime soon."

"I have to hand it to you, Swan. You've got guts!" Jasper laughed.

Jasper taught history at Columbia Prep and was one of the younger members of staff as well. He'd been assigned to show me the ropes when I first arrived at the school and we had soon become close friends. He'd had the honor of instructing the infamous Volturi-twins in history last year and warned me about them.

There was however no amount of warning that could have prepared me for the real thing. I only had to look at my colleagues in the hallway in between classes to find out their daily schedule. Any teacher that looked slightly frightened or defeated had either just had a class with them or was on his way to one.

There was no way to punish them. Nothing to make them see sense. Jane would just glare at you whenever you said something she didn't like, which was just about everything you said. Her paybacks were the worst. She would go for physical pain, trying to trip you or accidentally drop her bag on your toes. Alec was more subtle. He would just argue with you until you were completely numb and willing to go with anything he said, just to get the hell away from him.

The only person in the entire school who didn't see them for what they truly where – a plague – was their father. He still saw them as his little angels and wouldn't hear a word said against them.

I had just munched down my lunch when Renata, Aro's assistant, asked me if I had time to see Mr. Volturi in his office.

Jasper shot me a knowing look before I made my way to the headmasters office. I was slightly nervous. I might be Aro's little pet project but there was no doubt that Jane had her father wrapped around her little finger. What did she say to him? How would he react?

When I had first joined the staff of this school I had been a little afraid of him. His appearance was rather daunting with his tall, thin frame, jet black hair and cold blue eyes. He looked like some kind of scary killer from an old mafia movie. The worst thing was that he talked like one too. His parents had immigrated from Italy when he was little and he still had a very thick accent. Whenever I was in his presence I felt the subconscious urge to run.

I knocked on the door.

"It's open." Aro voice sounded from within.

"You asked me to come see you?"

"Yes." Aro answered, closing the file he had been studying. "My daughter Jane came to see me after class. She was a little upset, claiming you'd given her an unreasonable amount of homework." He looked at me questioningly.

I decided to approach him like I would approach any other concerned parent.

"I'm a little worried about dear Jane," I started, imitating his way of referring to the apple of his eye. "She seems to be having a little difficulty with the amount of homework she's been given."

Word like 'worry' and 'concern' work like magic for any teacher. If you wanted to tell a parent – or pupil for that matter – that a kid didn't have the brains or the attitude to fulfill the high hopes their parents had set for them you couldn't just tell it to them like it was. You'd only trigger anger and denial. However no good parent could ever be angry because someone worried about their child or deny concern about their little angels capability. They were words that showed you cared about the kid and wanted to make things better.

"And you don't think it has something to do with the amount of work?" Aro sounded concerned but also a little peeved.

"I haven't had complaints from any of the other students so far." I stated.

"What do you suggest to do about it?"

I realized I was walking a fine line. Aro wasn't only a parent who could be coaxed with words of concern, he was also a teacher so he knew the tricks of the trade. I would have to formulate my answers very carefully.

"I'd love to help her. She's a bright kid. But I'm afraid she won't accept my help, she's been a little …..prickly lately."

In reality I would rather stick needles in my eyes than tutor the spoiled little brat but there was no need for her father to know that.

"Hmmm. I'll think about it." Aro mused. I was certain he would be keeping a close watch on me during the next few weeks.

"How are things, apart from all this I mean?" He asked, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his neck.

I had expected this question as soon as I had set foot in the office. After all, I was Aro's little showpiece. Having a single mom from a humble background amongst his staff was his perfect remonstrance to accusations that he was running an backward elitist institution.

"Everything's fine." I replied. I had learned that to avoid further questioning it was imperative to keep my answers as short as possible. Aro seemed to think that it was okay to ask of his staff to let them peek into their brains. Like he had a right to know what we were thinking.

I was saved from further questioning by an incoming phone call. With a flick of the wrist I was dismissed, breathing a sigh of relieve when I found myself in the corridor again. That seemed to have gone okay.

If someone would have told me six years ago that I would end up a teacher of English literature at an expensive Manhattan Prep School. If you would have laughed in their faces. Down to earth, frugal little me teaching the Laurens of this world? Never!

Even teaching would have been a far stretch. I had always been shy and introvert, not exactly the greatest basic material for a teacher. Somehow that had changed when I became a mom. I knew I had to put my foot down or my child would end up a spoiled little brat and if I wanted to achieve something I knew I had to go out and just do it instead of sitting at home wondering about what might have been.

But then, when I was in college one of my professors suggested a career in teaching and when I was just wrapping up my Masters degree in education my counselor had arranged an interview for me at Columbia Prep, a school that was affiliated with Columbia University, the school I had transfered to after I moved to New York.

At first I had been daunted by the aspect of having to teach class after class filled with spoiled little rich kids, but I'd soon found out that they weren't that bad. Luckily obnoxious little brats like Alec and Jane where the exception to the rule. Most of the kids were just like any other kids except for the fact that some of them had platinum credit cards and most of them where weighed down by the unrealistically high expectations their parents had of them.

I sped down the hall to my classroom where my pupils where already waiting for me.

"Bella?" Jasper called out to me. "How did things go with Aro?"

"They went okay. Think Jane's in trouble though."

"Hey, would you mind trading classrooms with me? I wanted to show my seniors a video but the DVD player in my classroom's broken."

"Sure. No problem. Just let me get my things and my pupils."

I ushered my students into the classroom and started my class. I really loved teaching. No two lessons where the same, even though you had to repeat the same curriculum over and over again.

My problem was that sometimes I would get so wrapped up in telling stories that I would forget about everything else around me. I could easily chatter away through the entire period. Not that my pupils minded, but I had a schedule to go by.

I found myself once again wrapped up in conveying the drama and the passion of Wuthering Heights on my audience. At first most of my pupils had thought Heathcliff and Cathy were just a bunch of freaks who were making their life and the lives of those around them miserable. Gradually they had come to see the underlying passion and desperation in the novel and now some of them even admitted to liking the story.

I moved to sit on the edge of my desk, as was my custom. I remembered too late that the desk in Jasper's classroom didn't have the usual four legs, like the one in my classroom had, but only two.

Just as I realized that sitting on the edge of the desk was probably a bad idea the damn thing flipped over, sending me legs up into the sky and falling on my ass. Luckily I had decided on wearing tights underneath my skirt today, or it would have been really embarrassing. I scrambled back to my feet, checking to see if there was any damage. Luckily I seemed to have escaped unscathed.

It took my class of sixteen year olds about ten minutes to calm themselves down, about as long as it took for the red to fade from my cheeks. I decided to consider the rest of the period as lost. There was no way I could get my pupils to concentrate on the antics of Heathcliff and Cathy after what had just happened. Fortunately there where only ten minutes left.

The rest of the day passed in blissful normalcy and when the bell sounded I breathed a sigh of relief. Weekend. Time to breathe and take stock of things.

"Hey Bella! I heard you had a little brush in with my desk!" Jasper said, walking into my now empty classroom.

"Let's just say that me and your desk need to sit down and have a serious talk about the right amount of ground support sometimes." I replied.

"Are you still good for tonight?" he asked.

I had forgotten that I had plans to go out with Jasper, Emmet and a couple of other friend (and Mike) tonight.

I groaned. As pleasant as my dreams of last night had been, they hadn't brought me much rest.

"Yeah, I'm still coming. Can't promise to stay long though. I had a rough night last night." I sighed.

Jasper knew enough about my past history to know what that meant.

It was so easy to talk to Jasper. He always knew just what to say and he had the uncanny ability to make you feel calmer, more relaxed. I had even thought about telling him more about Edward but in the end I decided against it. He was a friend of Emmet's as well and there was always a danger that Emmet would wheedle it out of him on a drunk night at a bar.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I will be." I shrugged, grabbing my bag and moving towards the door. "See you at O'Grady's."

_**This chapter is kind of dedicated to my first days back at school (as a teacher). I'm absolutely exhausted right now so if there's more mistakes in spelling and grammar in this chapter you know the cause. **_

_**Oh and by the way: the bit were Bella fell off the desk actually happened to me once, it was pretty embarrassing (but not the most embarrassing thing that happened to me whilst teaching). What can I say. I can rival Bella in the clumsiness department...**_


	5. Friday Night

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Friday night.**

I took a subway and rushed over to the kindergarten where my daughter spend most of her days. In spite of all the pressure Aro had exerted on me, I couldn't bring myself to enroll my child in his school. He may have been right when he told me I had to give my child the best start in life I could but I knew he wasn't just offering me a spot at his kindergarten out of the kindness of his heart. Other motives – the same that had come into play when he was hiring me – were probably more important to him and I resented that. With the memories of having to endure two years of Lauren Mallory and her snooty arrogance still fresh in my head I wanted my child to grow up in more mixed surroundings so I was happy to get her a place at a local kindergarten.

I got there early, the children where still in class.

I talked a little to Bree, Danny's mother. They lived only one street up from my apartment and Bree often babysat Libby (and vice versa). Danny was Libby's official boyfriend. I believe they even had plans to marry somewhere in spring. They had originally planned to get hitched at Christmas but Libby didn't want to upstage Rose and Emmet, who were getting married on Christmas Eve.

"Hey Bree. How are you?"

"Better. My shrink says I'm starting to work through my pain."

"Thats good news indeed." I replied.

Bree had totally fallen apart when her husband had died of a cerebral hemorrhage last year and had started to see a psychiatrist to help her deal with things. Before seeing her shrink she had been completely out of control. Fortunately Marcus, her psychiatrist had been able to perform a small miracle and Bree had regain some control over herself. Unfortunately her success made her a fierce advocate of modern psychiatry and she seemed to think I could benefit from it as well.

"You still sure about not getting help?" She asked.

What was it with everybody always wanting me to get help. Did I have some kind of sign over my head saying "Help me! I'm falling apart" or something?

"Yup. Still sure." I replied in a tone that hopefully told her to drop the subject.

Bree may have been comforted by the thought of putting it all behind her, to me the thought of forgetting anything about the time I'd spend with Edward was terrifying. I might have pushed my memories to a back corner of my head, that didn't mean I wanted to loose them. If anything I cherished them and if it didn't hurt so much I would be happy to think about him all day.

"How's the wedding coming along?" Bree asked, changing the subject.

"Which one?" I laughed, thinking about how Libby was planning to recycle her flower girl's dress for her own wedding.

"Your brother's." She replied, smiling as well.

"I think Rose is under the impression she's planning a royal wedding. There isn't a single red rose or dove in New York that isn't somehow involved in the whole enterprise. Think it has something to do with the fact that she's been pretty much cooped up at home since she went on maternity leave. She's bored, so she's taken to torturing everyone around her with her ideas for the wedding."

"That bad?"

"Yup. I'm supposed to meet her at Vera Wang's tomorrow to take a first look at my bridesmaid's dress." I sighed.

"Scared?" she laughed.

"Absolutely terrified." I corrected Bree. "Knowing Rose she's probably put me in some elegant concoction that reveals way too much skin with matching deathtraps heals."

Bree shook her head laughing.

"Seriously. At this point I'll be happy if I made it down the isle without injuring the bride, groom or minister," I huffed.

"And Libby? How is she feeling about being the flower girl?" Bree asked.

"She's in seventh heaven of course, but then again she doesn't have to worry about taking someone's eye out with her heals. She'll just skip down the isle and make everyone smile." I said, rolling my eyes.

Just then the doors flew open and a mass of tiny little figures tumbled out of the building to get to their parents.

"Mommy!" Libby screamed as she flung herself in my arms.

I staggered but managed to keep myself upright. I really had to talk to that daughter of mine about health and safety measurements sometimes.

"How was your day sweetie?" I asked as we made our way to the subway.

"I was sooooo cool. We started making a mobile from beads and paper and feathers and stuff. You should really see mine mommy. It's so cool. Do you think Rose would like it if I gave it to her for the baby?" Libby said, talking at breakneck speed while flailing her tiny arm around.

" I can't wait to see it." I replied. "I'm sure Rose would love it! Why don't you tell her about it tonight?"

We quickly made our way back to the apartment and I packed Libby's overnight bag. She was spending the night with Rose while Emmet and I went to O'Grady's. Normally Rose would come with us but with her being over eight months pregnant she was pretty much housebound. She had practically ordered me to let Libby stay over at her place.

"What do you think mommy should wear tonight sweetie?" I asked my daughter, who seemed to be having a better sense of fashion than I did.

Libby stepped in front of my wardrobe and scrutinized every item of clothing I owned.

"That one," she said in a decisive tone, pointing at a fire engine red dress that Rose had bought for me.

Damn! I thought I had burned that one. Rose had sneaked in into my closet a few months back when I was distracted by Emmet and Libby. The dress – if you could call something that showed more flesh than it covered a dress – was something either a runway model or a transvestite would wear, not an English teacher who was going to a bar on Friday night.

"Mommy's not going to a party tonight, baby, the red dress is a little too...bold." I replied.

"But it's pretty!" Libby pouted.

"Look. I'm not going to walk into a bar half naked. Pick something else or mommy will pick something out herself." I sighed, determined not to let the power of the pout get to me.

Finally Libby picked out a pair of dark jeans and a satin blouse with short puffed sleeves. She walked over to the dresser to find the appropriate accessories deciding on a belt with a shiny buckle in the shape of a skull I didn't even know I had and a pair of black ballet flats.

"The scary belt looks very nice with the shiny blouse," Libby commented, taking a step back to appraise her work. She looked like one of the designers from _Project Runway_.

I felt ridiculous being dressed by my five year old but I had to hand it to her: the clothes she picked out for me were fabulous. I wondered where she got that from. Certainly not from my side of the family. Emmet and I went for comfort in stead of appearance when we dressed ourselves. My mom made an effort to look nice but always ended up...wrong. She'd wear the most impossible combinations of colors and patterns and most of the time just ended up looking like some kind of freaky gypsy woman at a fun fair.

Rose of course made up for the fashion-impairedness in my family. Being a former model and current fashion editor at a well known fashion magazine she knew all the great designers and latest fashion. She had started dressing Emmett soon after they became a couple and moved on to Libby and me next. Like my mother had done before she would just buy clothes for me and leave them in my closet when she came over for a visit. That's why I was the proud owner of the slutty red dress Libby had first picked out for me, a pair of matching stiletto's that would only made me end up in the ER yet again and a mini skirt so short it made every man a gynecologist.

--

We made our way over to Emmet and Rose's for dinner. Of course Libby immediately blurted out how I had refused to wear the pretty red dress she had picked out for me, earning me a dirty look from Rose who already thought I dressed like a nun.

"What? I look alright, don't I?" I shrugged.

"Bella," Rose huffed, stomping her foot. "How are you ever going to find a man when you go about dressing like Martha Steward!"

I shot a quick glance at Libby, who fortunately was distracted by Emmet at the moment. How dare she bring this up in front of my kid!

"I hardly think Martha Steward would wear this!" I hissed, pointing at my belt.

"Did you pick it out or did Libby?" Rose glared.

I merely glared back at her.

"I rest my case." she added with a victorious smile.

"And by the way: where do you get off thinking I need a man." I snarled. I was possibly livid.

"Come on Bella. You've been living like a nun for the past five years. Don't you think it's time to, I don't know, live a little?" she asked, stirring the pasta sauce.

I contemplated grabbing her head and forcing it into the saucepan, but with Emmet close by that probably wasn't a good idea.

"Let me get this very clear: there is only one man on this planet that I want and he clearly doesn't want me. So you can just stop prying into my private life and give me some peace."

At that moment Emmet sauntered into the kitchen only to see the expression on our faces, do a one eighty and hurry back into the safety of the living room. I sighed and followed him. There was no point arguing with Rose.

I still didn't know what brought all this on. How could Rose be all thoughtful and understanding one day and spring something like this on me the next? Must be hormonal.

"You okay?" Emmet asked cautiously as I made my way into the living room.

"Fine." I sighed, still angry. "You might want to talk to your fiancée about her matchmaking antics though. Tell her to shut the hell up."

"Language!" Libby sang from her spot at the couch, her face a perfect imitation of mine when I scolded her.

"Sorry sweetie." I replied, joining her on the sofa.

Soon after that Rose came in with the food and we moved to the dining table in the corner.

During dinner I noticed Emmet kept on fidgeting and shooting me nervous glances.

"What's up Emmet?" I asked, unable to bear his jumpy behavior any longer. If I wasn't so curious about what he was going to say and if I wasn't still a little annoyed by Rose's little stunt I would actually have been laughing.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" he asked.

Libby nearly choked on her pasta as Rosalie and I rolled out eyes at each other.

"Come on, Emmet. You're no better at acting than I am!" I replied, earning grins from Libby and Rose. "Out with it!"

Emmet twisted in his seat, not knowing where to start.

"Your mother's coming over for the wedding," Rose finally said, closely watching my reaction.

"That's all? I was beginning to think you sold Libby and me into slavery!" I laughed.

Emmet seemed totally baffled. "You're not angry or sad?" he asked cautiously.

"Why would I be? She's our mom, I'd be angry if she didn't come to your wedding." I replied.

"Well, I thought with everything that happened between the two of you, you'd be...reluctant to see her again." he muttered.

"I'm not going to lie to you and say we'll get along, but if she plans on behaving herself then I will do the same." I stated, not wanting to say too much about it in front of my daughter.

Telling my mother I was pregnant had turned into a total disaster. I had expected her to be angry and disappointed at the fact that her smart daughter, her little prodigy, had thrown her brilliant future out of the window by getting pregnant, but I had also expect her to support me through my decision. She was after all my mom.

Unfortunately she hadn't. As soon as I had told her the about what happened she had started screaming at me and practically ordered me to get an abortion. She called me a heartless whore for having sex with some random guy while my father lay dying and told me that if I planned to go through with the pregnancy she would have nothing to do with me.

I had a total breakdown after she left, not getting up from bed for days. Finally, not knowing what to do, Angela had called Emmet, who was still blissfully unaware of my condition.

Emmet's reaction had been the complete opposite from my mother's. As soon as he found out I was pregnant he went into full action man-mode. He got me up and walking again so I could finish my classes at Yale with passing grades and arranged for me to come back to New York with him after that where he took care of me for the next couple of years.

As soon as I had gained a steady income Libby and I had moved out of Emmet's apartment and into our current home in nearby Morningside Heights. I knew Emmet hated to see us go but I felt I really needed to stand on my own two feet. Plus with his relationship with Rose moving in a more serious direction I had to give him some space.

I had a feeling Emmet had had his own talk with our mother after my breakdown at Yale. However, he had never spoken a word about it and refused to talk to her for as long as she kept ignoring me. We hadn't heard from her since.

--

After dinner Emmet and I left a sulking Rose and an cheerful Libby behind to make our way to O'Grady's bar.

When I was still a student at Columbia University I had sometimes met some of my friends here for drinks on Friday night. Soon Emmet and some of his friends had been invited and after I had started to work at CGPS some of my colleagues joined us as well. We had become some sort of extended family, with most of us having moved here from all over the country.

Emmet and I walked into O'Grady's to find that most of our friends had already arrived. Felix, Emmet's business partner, was there with his girlfriend Heidi who worked for a travel agency. Sam and Emily, two of my friends from college were whispering in a corner and Jasper was over at the bar ordering drinks and talking to Zafrina, who taught art at our school.

At first I had been a little scared of Zafrina. She was all arty and strange and I really didn't know what to make of her. When Jasper had taken me to one of her exhibitions I had been blown away by the power of her art. The paintings and video collages she made were so real, it was like an optical illusion. Like you were really inside her subject. It had made talking to her easier. Like I could understand where she was coming from. She still scared the crap out of me on a regular basis though. She was just odd.

And then there was Mike. Obnoxious, inescapable Mike.

A few years ago, when I had still entertained hopes that time and effort could mend the gaping hole in my chest, I had made the capital mistake of agreeing to go out on a date with Mike, who was in some of my classes at university. It had been one of the worst nights of my life ending – of course – in the ER after I broke two of Mikes toes.

Still her persisted. He was like some annoying Jack Russel terrier. No matter how hard you yelled at him - kicked him even – he would never stop. I also wouldn't be surprised if he started humping my leg one day.

Somehow he had managed to find out about our regular meet ups and invited himself to tag along. Luckily Emmet and Jasper were always there to prevent him from trying anything, but there was always the risk of running into him on my way to the restroom. What made matters worse was that I kind of felt sorry for him, which prevented me from just saying to his face that I would rather kiss Osama Bin Laden on the lips than go out with him a second time.

As Felix poured us another round of beers from a pitcher a girl from the bar came by with a sign up sheet for tonights karaoke-event. I knew from experience that it was of vital importance to not leave the table right now. A few weeks ago somebody – probably Emmet – had put my name down while I was in the bathroom and I had been forced to sing _'Hit me baby one more time'_ by Britney Spears. I sure as hell wasn't going to let that happen again.

--

Most of the talking stopped when the karaoke began. Some of the contestants were actually pretty good while most were just average to bad. Right after two girls had giggled through "99 Red Ballons' by Nena the MC announced that the next contestant was going to be Mike Newton.

Of course. This was to be expected. A night at O'Grady's wasn't complete until Mike had somehow made a total ass of himself.

We all turned to see a beaming Mike, standing on the stage with a microphone in his hands winking at me.

I glared at a snickering Emmet and kicked him under the table.

"Oh no. He didn't!" Jasper whispered horrified as the intro of '_I'm too sexy' _by Right Said Fredblared through the speakers.

"Dear Lord!" I muttered as I saw in my peripheral vision how Emmet and Felix double over in laughter.

When Mike began to sing Emmet and Felix had to hold on to each other to prevent them from dropping from their stools. In an effort to make his squeaky voice sound husky and seductive Mike kind of wheezed out the lyrics making him sound like a distressed sheep, meanwhile moving like he was having some kind of epileptic seizure.

"_I'm a model, you know what I mean and I do my little turn on the catwalk. Yeah on the catwalk, on the catwalk yeah, I shake my little tush on the catwalk" _Mike bleated, slapping himself on the ass when he reached the last part.

We all had tears streaming down our faces when Mike returned, gleaming with pride.

"Well, what did you think?" he whispered in my ear, no doubt trying to be sexy. I felt the chunks rising in my throat.

Everybody looked at me, wanting to see how I got myself out of this. I glared back at my so called friends trying to think of ways to get back at them.

"Well Mike..." I began, searching for the right words. "That sure was something else."

I looked triumphantly at the rest. I was actually proud of myself for nut hurting Mike's feelings and not telling a total lie at the same time

"She's right!" Emmet squeaked, once again doubling over in laughter. "That was like nothing I'd _ever_ seen before."

--

After a few more rounds of beer and some horrible performances of classic pop songs by the increasingly drunk patronage of the bar I decided to leave. With Mike's performance behind us the evening was past it's peak and I was really starting to feel the fallout of last night's dream. I said goodbye to everyone, picked up my coat and made my way to the exit, only to be pestered by a hand grabbing my ass.

I turned around to see a grinning - and very drunk – Mike. Oh boy. He'd clearly moved on to plan B.

"Get your hands of me!" I yelled.

"Why. You know you want me." he replied, leaning into me and wiggling his eyebrows.

"I'm serious Mike. Get the hell away from me and don't EVER do that again!" I said. The nerve that boy had!

"Why not?" he asked, his voice sounding whiny.

"For one because I've told you a million times I'm not interested in you and I sure as hell don't want you to touch me. As in NEVER. Second because Emmet, Jasper and the others have been watching your every move and they sure as hell aren't happy about it." I snapped, pushing him away from me with ever argument.

Mike glanced in their direction, his face turning white when he say the livid stares of Emmet and Jasper and his hand dropping from my backside as if it were on fire.

"Now, if you plan on making it out of here alive I suggest you apologize and leave. NOW." I added.

"Sorry, Bella," Mike stammered before almost running out of the bar.

Jasper and Emmet walked over to see if I was alright. As soon as they had made sure no harm had come to me the laughing began.

"Thanks for the support, by the way," I grumbled.

"You seemed perfectly able to handle yourself. Did you know you can be really scary sometimes? Now I know how such a tiny little thing like you can keep a whole herd of kids in check!" Emmet roared.

"Assholes!" I snarled.

"Oh, Bella. You know you love us!" Emmet panted.

I left after that, hailing a cab and finally making it home, launching myself into bed and falling into a deep sleep.

_**Writing this chapter was a bitch! I just couldn't get it right. I hope it turned out alright though.**_

_**Please review! I really love reading all my reviews, they are what makes me want to drag myself over to my computer to write/edit after a day of cramming stuff into the heads of my pupils! Plus, I will give you the next chapter (the second part of the flashback) this week instead of next week.**_


	6. Butterflies & hurricanes

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Butterflies. (flashback)**

Somehow I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes it was 11.30 and Jess and Lauren had already left.

"Morning sunshine," Angela sang, handing me a steaming mug of coffee.

"Did I tell you I love you today?" I laughed, taking a sip of the black elixir of life.

"No, but it's nice to hear you do!" she replied, turning her attention back to her book.

I slowly sipped om my coffee. The high of last nights events still hadn't died down and I only had to close my eyes to smell Edwards sweet scent or feel his lips brush against my shoulders, my neck, my lips...

I could see Angela stealing glances at me from over her book, her eyebrows arched. I shrugged.

"You've got it bad, Bella," she stated.

"Wait until you see him." I replied, the vision of perfection – otherwise known as Edward Cullen – flashing before my eyes again.

Who wouldn't 'have it bad' for Edward Cullen? I sure did. Luckily I was going to see him again today or I had a feeling I might go into serious Edward-withdrawal. It was crazy. I'd only known him half a day but my feelings where so...strong. Not like anything I'd ever felt before. Yesterday when he had picked me up it had felt like something in my body had shifted, had found it's rightful place. I must be going mad.

Then another thought hit me. I was going on a date today. With Edward. I, Isabella Swan - the woman who never dated – was going on a date with Edward – Gods gift to womankind – Cullen.

Help!

Angela must have seen my expression turn from bliss to panic because she raised her brows again.

"What?" she asked.

"I...have...a...date...with...Edward...today!" I managed to hyperventilate.

"Yes. So...?"

"I HAVE A DATE WITH EDWARD TODAY!" I yelled. Of all the times she could be teasing me, this sure as hell wasn't the right one.

"And you need my help?" she asked, grinning evilly.

I nodded, trying to catch my breath.

"Do you know what he has planned for today?" she asked, walking over to my suitcase. I had gotten used to other people dressing me since I wasn't really interested in fashion.

I shook my head.

"Then we'll just have to go with something fit for every occasion." she sighed.

At that moment I loved Angela. I really did. She never made me dress up in anything I was uncomfortable with, not even when I was going on a date with the god of all things sexy. If it had been Jessica she would have pushed me into wearing some kind of barely there dress and a pair of impossibly high heals which would only result in me falling down and embarrassing myself in public, as I had done on many occasions.

"You'd better get in the shower while I pick out your clothes. You kind of smell" she added, scrunching up her nose.

I sniffed my armpits. I did smell pretty bad. I hope it had been better when I'd been in Edwards arms last night. I didn't want him to think I was some kind of slob.

I made it to the bathroom and quickly took off my clothes, taking a quick glance in the mirror to assess the damage last nights fall had caused. There was a big angry bruise on my shoulder, my muscles felt a little stiff and I had a slight headache but apart from that I had managed to walk away from my little rendezvous with the stairs quite unscathed. Nothing that a warm shower, some Tylenol and a bruise-covering shirt couldn't fix.

When I stepped out of the shower I noticed Angela had laid out some underwear for me on the sink. For once in my life I was grateful for my moms tendency to subtly leave 'presents' from Victoria's Secret in my underwear drawer whenever she came to visit me. I needed all the help I could get today and the black lace set Ange had picked out for me might give my confidence just a little boost.

"Okay Ange! Bring it on!" I chirped.

I heard a sharp intake of breath and lifted my eyes – that had been fixed on my feet, trying to make it out of the damp and slippery bathroom alive – only to stare into the face of an extremely flustered Edward.

I screamed and scurried back into the bathroom slamming the door on my way in. I leaned against the door panting for breath.

Oh. My. God. Edward Cullen just saw me in my underwear. Nearly naked.

Breathe, Bella! For God's sake don't pass out.

There was a soft tap on the door.

"Bella? Don't worry, it's only me!" Angela's voice called.

I slightly opened the door and peered through the crack. Apart from Angela the room was empty again. Was that a bad sign? What if Edward had been so revolted by the sight of me in my underwear that he had bolted?

"Seriously, Bella. It's safe to come out!" Angela pleaded.

"Where's Edward?" I asked.

"He stepped out of the room for a while to let you get ready."

"Are you sure?" I squeaked.

"Bella!" Angela scolded, rolling her eyes. "You don't seriously think he just bolted because he got a glimpse of your underwear, did you?"

"No?"

"Sometimes I could just slap you for being so insecure. Did you even look at him before you ran into the bathroom?"

I shook my head.

"Believe me, Bella. He liked what he saw. _Very much_." She said, emphasizing those last two words.

"Oh."

Then the true meaning of her words hit me.

_Oh!_ Could it really be that Edward was just as attracted to me as I was to him?

I suddenly remembered why I had been angry when I ran into the bathroom.

"YOU!" I huffed, pointing my finger at her while stomping my foot. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST DID THAT!"

Angela just doubled over in laughter, clutching her sides. She must be suicidal.

"Oh, Bella. You should have seen his face when you walked out of the bathroom" she hiccuped. "And then the look on your face when you found out he was standing there..."

For a moment I was worried she was going to choke. Her face was turning blue from oxygen deprivation and her arm flailed up and down as if to push the air back into her lungs. Then I realized that I really didn't care. In the end she just jumped up, composed herself again and patted the stack of clothes on our bed.

I quickly put on my clothes – a simple knee length black t-shirt dress with short puffed sleeves - , pulled a comb through my hair and put on some lip gloss. Angela gave me her seal of approval and handed me my shoes, sensible black ballet flats.

"Oh, and Bella?" She smirked before I walked out of our room.

"Yeah?"

"Well done!"

I blushed. "Thanks Ange!" I said, giving her a quick hug.

I opened the door to the sight of Edward, pacing nervously up and down the walkway. He seemed almost relieved when he saw me, like he thought I wasn't going to show up. A million butterflies fluttered frantically in my stomach at the sight of him.

A few awkward moments passed before I worked up the courage to speak.

"Hi." I said, not able to manage anything above a whisper.

He seemed to regain his confidence at that because he took my face in his hands and brushed his thumb over my cheek. "Good morning, beautiful," he softly spoke before placing a chaste kiss on my lips.

I blushed. "So," I asked. "What do you have planned for us today?"

"I thought we might hire a boat and have a picnic on the ocean. That is, if you'd like to," he shrugged.

"I'd love to," I replied. Seriously, could a man be any more perfect? I almost pinched myself to see if I wasn't dreaming. These things only happened in dreams, or in romance novels.

"Then let's get out of here," he said, flashing one of his dazzling crooked smiles.

My knees nearly gave out at the sight of him. If this was a preview of how the rest of our date would go then I'd better run in to get my first aid kit, because I would be having countless 'run ins' with the floor if he kept on smiling at me like this.

"Yes, let's!" I managed to squeak. He took my head and weaved his fingers through mine. It felt good, like they belonged together.

If only things where as simple as just walking out of the motel and skipping off into the sunset (or sunrise?). We weren't halfway past the pool when we stumbled across Jessica and Lauren, lounging by the pool.

When Lauren noticed Edward standing next to me, our fingers entwined, her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. I knew she must be green with envy.

Lauren and I had never liked each other. Jessica, Angela, Lauren and I had been roommates during our freshman year at Yale and therefore Lauren and I had been forced to spend some time together.

Lauren had been accepted at Yale mostly because of her last name. The Mallory's where amongst the richest people in the country and could pretty much buy anything they wanted, including a spot for their spoiled little princess at an Ivy League college.

It stung a little – or maybe even a lot – to see how easy things were for her. I had had to fight for my spot at Yale and was very dependent on financial aid and my job at one of the college libraries. Lauren on the other had would buy a purse that cost enough money to cover my entire tuition fee and lose it the next day without pausing to think about it.

She had wasted no time letting me know that I didn't belong at Yale. Didn't belong to be around 'her kind of people'. Of course she also couldn't stand the fact that I was smarter than she was and that our teachers and most of the other students liked me better. I had spent most of my freshman year carefully avoiding her and had breathed a sigh of relieve when I only had to share a room with Angela this year.

Being every inch the rich spoiled kid, she was used to having her way, getting the best of everything. She couldn't stand the thought of someone else having something she wanted - being happier then she was - and right now, it was very clear that she wanted Edward.

"Bella! You're awake!" Jessica squealed. "Who's your friend?"

I bit my lip in anger. As if she didn't know full well that this was the same man that took care of me last night after she ran of with her latest conquest.

Edward, apparently picking up on the tension, let go of my hand only to put his arm around my shoulders and pull me into his side.

"Jessica, Lauren, this is Edward. Edward these are my friends Jessica and Lauren." I said, indication who was who.

Jessica and Lauren both giggled. No doubt they meant their smiles to be alluring. To me, however, they sounded like a couple of hyena's.

"Nice to meet you." Edward stated, the tone of his voice betraying his repulsion. "Now if you don't mind, Bella and I have a boat to catch."

With that he quickly escorted me off the premises and out to a waiting jeep. I could almost feel two pairs of eyes staring at us disbelievingly. I noticed a large cooler standing in the back of the jeep. He'd brought food. The man had thought of everything!

When we arrived at the marina I waited inside the jeep - happy to spend a little more time in the pleasant air conditioned luxury of the car – while Edward secured our boat.

He took me over to the boat which looked more like a floating hotel room to me. It even had a sun bed! I didn't want to think about how much all of this had cost Edward. I generally hated people spending money on me but for now I wasn't going to mope about it.

I was happy to see that the boat he had picked was fitted out with some kind of canopy, because in my haste to get to Edward I had forgotten to pack my sunblock. In fact, I had forgotten to take _anything_ with me, not even my keys or my wallet. Stupid Bella!

Edward carried me safely onto the boat - no doubt remembering my clumsiness - and gently placed me on the sun bed. He took the helm and steered the boat smoothly out of the marina. We sailed for a little while, the light sea breeze cooling my overheated skin.

Edward steering a ship was a sight to be seen and I blatantly stared at him, not bothering if he caught my stares.

"Do you like what you see?" he asked, chuckling softly.

I nodded. There was no point denying it.

"Then by no means let me hinder your pleasure," he laughed, taking off his shirt in one swift motion.

I gasped at the sight in front of me. I had assumed Edward's body would be gorgeous – it had to be – but I wasn't prepared for this. Edwards chest looked like it had been carved by Michaelangelo himself. It was sheer perfection. I had to swallow a few times to get the pooling saliva out of my mind since I didn't think drooling all over this lovely boat would impress him.

Much to Edwards amusement I continued to gawk at him, my mouth slightly ajar. I knew I was acting like a love-sick schoolgirl and that I would make him pay for reducing me to a stammering idiot – but that didn't matter right now.

When Edward seemed to think we had put enough distance between us and the beach he shut off the engine and casted off the anchor. He reached out behind him an walked over to me carrying the cooler with him.

"I hope you're hungry. I think the hotel provided us with more than enough food to feed an army." He said, taking a seat next to me.

He opened the box and placed the contents on the table. He was right. There _was_ enough food to feed an army. They had even packed a bottle of champagne.

Edward uncorked the champagne and poured two glasses. He handed me my glass his eyes blazing into mine.

"To the start of something beautiful," he whispered, softly clinking his glass with mine.

The butterflies in my stomach fluttering like mad. How on earth could someone manage to make something so cheesy sound so sweet? With any other guy I would probably have doubled over in laughter right now, but Edward had the opposite effect.

We ate and drank in comfortable silence. I hadn't noticed how hungry I was before but now I couldn't seem to scoff the food down fast enough. I hoped Edward didn't think I was some kind of savage.

"When did you have time to arrange all of this?" I asked, motioning towards the boat and the now nearly empty cooler.

"I couldn't sleep last night, so I had some time to think this trough and arrange everything." he answered.

I leaned in and kissed him, the taste of the champagne still lingering on his lips. He put his arms around me and pulled me closer leaning back against the cushions of the sun bed.

We spent some time lying there in silence. I closed my eyes and inhaled his sweet scent. Edward had one arm around me, the other gently stroking my hear. Every now an then he placed a light kiss on my head.

"Tell me about your family," he said, breaking the silence.

"What do you want to know?"I asked.

"Everything."

"There isn't that much to tell," I sighed. "My dad is a police-officer in a small town called Forks. My mom stays at home. I guess her attention span is to short for her to ever get settled in a job. They married straight out of high school when my mother got pregnant with Emmet, my older brother. Sometime after I was born they grew apart, which finally led to them hating each other."

"They didn't get divorced?" he asked.

"Nope, though I've spend years wishing they would. It's just not something you do in a place like Forks. As much as they hate each other, they are too susceptible to other people's opinions of them."

"That's sad," he said, his compassion apparent in his voice. "Are you close with your parents?"

"I guess so," I said, almost hesitantly. "My father never says much but I know he loves me. He just isn't big on showing his emotions, quite the opposite of my mother. She's...exuberant. I love her, though I guess I'm more of a daddy's girl. She changes hobbies about every other week, but once she's found a new past time she completely devotes herself to it. I think her most recent passion is embroidery."

"Embroidery?" he asked, smiling.

"Yup. It makes sense I guess. She's already gone through most sane pastimes, so she was bound to stumble onto something as odd as embroidery."

"Tell me about your brother."

"Emmet is great. He is everything I could ever wish for in an older brother. You wouldn't say we where related when you looked at us though. He's huge and I've never seen anyone as strong as he is in my life. He used to be a very good football player but he got injured during a game. He's just opened a gym in New York with some friends and things are going really good. I mis him." I sighed. "Tell me about your family."

"I grew up in Chicago. Carlisle – my dad – is a neurosurgeon. I guess he inspired me to study medicine. He's the living proof that you can have a successful career in medicine and be a good husband and parent at the same time. Esme – my mom – is the kindest, most loving person I know. She works as an assessor for Sotheby's. She took some time off when my sister Alice and I where younger, but went back to working full time when we where old enough to care for ourselves."

He smiled a little "My sister...well, there's no describing her. You'd have to see her to take in the full Alice experience. She's tiny, but I haven't met a single person who wasn't terrified of her."

I laughed, looking up at him. When he talked to his family his eyes lit up and his voice was somehow softer. It was clear he loved them very much. Underneath it all there was something I couldn't quite put a name to. As lovingly as he had spoken about his family, there had also been some kind of underlying pain, like there was something wrong with the perfect picture he had painted of his family.

He looked at me, his expression suddenly betraying more of the pain I had detected in his voice. He sighed, kissed my forehead and closed his eyes.

"There is something I should tell you about them. Technically Carlisle and Esme aren't my real parents. They are my uncle and aunt. My real parents died in a car crash when I was two years old..." his voice faltered a little.

"Oh, Edward! I'm so sorry!" Why did I have to be so damn perceptive and ruin everything!

"Don't be, I don't mind talking about them. It just hurts that I can hardly remember them." He sounded so sad it nearly broke my heart.

"You can't help it, Edward. You were only two years old. Nobody remembers stuff from that far back." I wanted so much to make him feel better right now.

"I know...It's just...I had a hard time dealing with all of that when I just started college...I kind of went off the rails back then and ended up disappointing Carlisle and Esme when all I wanted to do is make them – and my biological parents – proud."

He looked so hurt and scared it almost broke my heart.

"I'm sure they are still proud of you Edward. And you've put all of that behind you, right?" I said, forcing him to look into my eyes.

Suddenly his lips came crashing down on mine. His kiss conveying every emotion he felt – pain, fear, love, passion. I opened my mouth, allowing his tongue to caress mine as my fingers wove through his hair.

He suddenly flipped us over so that I was underneath him, carefully keeping most of his weight on his arms. I had to swallow a moan as I felt every inch of his body pressing against mine.

One of my legs wrapped itself around his waist, pushing myself further into him. He groaned, and writhed against me. His fingers starting a trail at my ankles, to my hips, grazing the side of my breast and back again, leaving a trail of butterflies in their wake.

When we finally pulled apart my lungs where burning and we where both panting for air. His eyes where burning into me, looking into my soul.

"So soft...,"he muttered, kissing a trail from my jaw to my collarbone. "So beautiful."

I closed my eyes and sighed in contentment. My fingers lightly tracing the muscles on his back. I was in heaven.

We continued to explore each others bodies through our clothes, our bodies tightly pressed together. I could feel that I affected him just as much as he affected me but it was like there was a silent agreement not to go any further. We both knew it was too soon.

I don't know how much time had passed when Edward looked at his watch and groaned. "I have to take the boat back. I was supposed to return it an hour ago."

"Well, then we'd better get back." I said trying to smile though I couldn't quite hide my disappointment.

"Would you like to go back with me to my hotel?" he asked, smiling shyly. "I mean, we won't...you know...Just to talk."

I'd love to Edward!" I replied, not wanting this date to end.

He placed one last sweet kiss on my lips and walked back to the helm.

I went back to my shameless staring as he deftly maneuvered the boat back into the marina. He moored the boat and jumped onto the jetty.

I got up from my seat, forgetting to brace myself against the rocking of the boat and tumbled over the side into the water.

"Stupid boat! Stupid water! Stupid clumsiness! Stupid Bella!" I muttered to myself as I swam over to the jetty and hoisted myself back on land.

"I'm so sorry Bella! Are you alright?" he looked distraught as he ran over to me.

"I'm fine! Don't beat yourself up about it," I sighed. "It's not like you could have helped it. I do this all the time, remember? I was beginning to worry, since I hadn't tripped or fallen all day. Just square things with the people from the marina. I'll wait in the car."

He handed me the keys and I climbed into the jeep, switching off the AC. I wasn't going to risk catching a cold. I hoped he wouldn't mind me dripping all over the passenger seat.

"Do you want to stop by your hotel?" Edward asked as he climbed into the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Not necessarily" I wasn't looking forward to round two with Lauren, or explaining to Angela why I was all wet for that matter. "Do you have a shirt or something I could borrow? I think if I hung my clothes out to dry for an hour or two they'd be good as new."

Edwards eyes glazed over for a bit but he soon turned his attention back to the road. "Sure, you can have anything of mine you want."

I almost gasped. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

We quickly made it to his hotel, a huge concrete colossus looking much more swanky than the cheap motel I was staying at.

There where no traces of vomit or drunken college boys in the lobby, only a group of young men who looked like they where extras from _The OC_ or _Gossip Girl_.

"Eddie!" One of the OC/Gossip Girl lookalikes yelled, leisurely strolling over to where we were standing.

"James!" Edward hissed, tightening his hold on me. Obviously they where just as close as Lauren and I.

"Who's the babe?" James asked, his gaze dropping from my face to my chest.

"Back off, James!" Edward snarled.

"What? I was only asking for her name! It's not like I was inviting her to go back to my room for a round of mind blowing sex!"

I half expected Edward to pounce on him but somehow he managed to control his rage. "Come on, Bella, let's get out of here!" he huffed, pulling me into an elevator.

As the doors slided shut I noticed James waving to me. An amused grin on his face.

"What was all that about?" I asked, slightly amazed by the display of masculine territoriality.

"Did you take a good look at yourself?" he asked, turning me to face the mirrored glass walls of the elevator.

I stared at my still dripping form. My makeup had run a little but overall there was nothing strange about my face, so it couldn't be that. It was only when I looked down to examine the rest of my body that I remembered the effect air conditioning and wet clothes had on the female body.

_Ah!_

I was spared further embarrassment by the sound of the elevator stopping at the 8th floor. Edward quickly pulled me through the corridor and into his room, not wanting anyone else to see my own personal wet t-shirt contest.

His hotel room had the size of a small apartment and was fitted out like one too. The bed alone was bigger that my entire motel room. It was obvious that Edward had a lot more money to spend than I did and it made me feel a little nervous and inadequate.

"Would you like to take a shower?" Edward asked.

I nodded.

He pulled a long white button up shirt for me out of his suitcase and showed me to the bathroom, closing the door behind him on his way out.

The nice warm shower served to calm some of my nerves and I walked out of the bathroom feeling slightly more confident. Having to put my still wet underwear back on was a little uncomfortable, but I had no other choice since the shirt I borrowed form Edward was slightly see through.

He was on the bed studying a book. Like me he had brought his schoolwork with him. I liked that. Even though he seemed to stem from a pretty privileged background and had his future pretty much laid out for him, he was still as serious about his education as I was.

When he noticed me he put down the book, his eyes once again taking on a glassy look.

"You like what you see?" I asked coyly. Throwing his words from before back at him.

"Damn straight!" he growled, pulling me onto the bed with him.

He rolled us so that I was underneath him while keeping most of his weight on his arms. The feeling of his body against mine was something I'd never get used to. It made me feel like I was on fire.

He slowly opened the buttons of the shirt I was wearing and caressed the skin newly exposed to him. His lips left mine and started tracing a trail downwards. His lips brushed over my breasts, kissing them through the fabric of my bra before he moved even further down over my stomach. I moaned at the feeling of his warm lips against my skin.

Just when I thought he would go even lower, to the place where I wanted him most, he stopped and kissed his way back up to my lips. I couldn't stop a frustrated groan from escaping my lips.

"Bella, we have to stop before we'll do something we'll both regret," he panted.

I sighed. He was right, though I wish he wasn't. We weren't ready for that yet.

"Soon love," he said, channeling the same regret and frustrations as I felt. "Soon."

We spend some time just lying in each others arms - neither of us talking – before he broke the silence.

"Would you mind if I take a shower now?" he asked.

"Not at all!" I replied. "I'll hang my clothes to dry on your balcony while you're busy."

I quickly spread my dress out in the sun before plopping back down on his bed. Every bone in my body breathed a sigh of contentment on being able to lie on a broad sturdy mattress again.

'I could get used to this' I thought to myself before I drifted to sleep.

_**I hope you all liked this. It was fun to write! As you may have noticed we are working up to the lemony goodness of chapters soon (very soon) to come!**_

_**Some of you have asked me when Edward is finally going to show up. I won't reveal how long it will be though I'll say it won't be long now. This is an EdwardxBella fanfic so he's going to be in here (quite a lot actually). I've written ahead to the part where they meet again and I can promise you it's going to be good. Just bear with me until then please. The chapters not featuring Edward may seem pointless now but they either explain things that are important for when they meet again or are laying the foundations for things to come otherwise I'd have to end the story right after they meet again and I don't want to do that.**_

_**I hope you'll still like this story. If you liked this chapter then you're sure to like the next chapter (a continuation of this one). hint **_

_**Please review and make my day (I've had rather a rough day at school).**_


	7. A perfect night

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**Hugs and kissed to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I really needed that since one of my classes consists of thirty seventeen year old Alecs and Janes. So when I got home on Friday I basically felt like crawling in a corner with a bucket of ice cream and wallow. On the bright side: this class is going to give me plenty of inspiration for chapters to come...**_

**WARNING: LEMONS AHEAD!**

**Perfect night. (flashback)**

_I was on a beach waiting, staring at the sun setting over the ocean. I couldn't remember what or whom I was waiting for but I knew it would be pleasant because my stomach filled with butterflies every time I tried to think about what was to come._

_Darkness fell and I was still all alone on the now deserted beach. I was beginning to feel worried. Had I been forgotten? What was going to happen?_

_It was as if my doubts and anxiety triggered a change of scenery. Suddenly I was at the pool of the motel, surrounded by an ocean of sparsely dressed people all staring angrily at me. Panic struck. This wasn't the dream about me being naked in public, was it? I looked down, relieved to see I was fully clothed. But then why were they angry? Was it because I wasn't getting into the whole Spring Break spirit of taking of my clothes and engaging in random acts of debauchery?Was it because I wasn't supposed to be here? Was it because I was too poor and too plain to fit in?_

_Suddenly some of the people leaped forward and started tearing at my clothes. I recognized Lauren, Jess and ...James? I tried to fight them off but they where stronger than me and with the three of them all determined to take off my clothes I realized I didn't stand a chance. I screamed, yelled and kicked anyway. I wouldn't go down without a fight._

_Suddenly Lauren, Jess and James froze and backed away. I looked around me to see everyone now staring at something behind me. I turned to see what they where looking at and relieve washed over me. In the entryway stood Edward, my night in shining armor, glaring lividly at my attackers. He waded through the sea of retreating naked flesh, pushed James aside and tossed me over his shoulder, marching out of the gates and towards safety._

_We were suddenly back at the beach. Edward put me down and checked me over to see if I had been harmed. The thought that he could see almost all of me though my torn clothes made me invent a new shade of red._

"_Don't be embarrassed." he muttered, stroking my jaw. "You. Are. Beautiful." he stated, placing a tender kiss on my lips after every word. "Never let anyone tell you otherwise."_

_I tried to look away, not knowing how to react to his intense stare. His fingers lifted my chin, forcing me to face him._

"_Open your eyes, Bella. Please?" I couldn't resist his pleading voice and opened my eyes to find him staring down at me. His face looked like that of a blind man seeing the sun for the first time._

"_I love you. I want you." he groaned before capturing my lips with a passion that made my knees buckle. We fell into the sand together, my hands wandering, exploring every inch of Edwards perfect body. There was no more doubt in my head. I was ready. I wanted him every bit as much as he wanted me._

_He looked into my eyes, seeking permission to continue. I bit my lip as I started to unbutton his shirt while he was lavishing attention on my neck and shoulders, kissing a trail down to my breasts._

_I moaned his name as he shed what remained of my clothes, kissing every bit of newly exposed skin, before taking of his own pants and boxers. _

_I trembled with anticipation as her returned to me, our body's now flush against each other. I relished in the feeling of his skin against mine._

"_I love you. Forever." he whispered as we melted together._

--

I woke up the next morning feeling dazed and disoriented. The room seemed too quiet and bright and the bed too solid. Then I remembered lying down on Edwards bed last night and nothing after that. I must have fallen asleep.

"Oh!" I exclaimed as I realized that probably meant I had spend the night at Edward's.

I felt the bed shake beside me and looked up to see Edwards green eyes smiling down at me.

"Good morning!" he said as he leaned in to kiss me.

"Go away! Morning breath!" I yelled, clamping my hands over my mouth.

"Bella, please remove your hands so that I can kiss you," he said in a reproving tone.

I shook my head feverishly. "Not before I've brushed my teeth." I murmured through my hands.

I tried to get away but before I could move Edward had pinned me down on the bed with his own body. Having his body flush against mine made me feel a strange sense of deja-vu and for a moment I tried to think when I had felt this before.

I tried to wriggle out of Edwards hold but seeing that Edward was both taller and stronger than me I didn't stand a chance. I sighed and removed my hands which were almost immediately replaced by Edwards lips.

Soon we were completely wrapped up in each other. My hands had automatically found their way to his hair again, his were wrapped around my back, pressing me closer to his chest. Our legs where intertwined, leaving almost no space between us. When we finally had to break free to breathe we just lay there – panting – in each others arms.

Being with Edward was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. I had had boyfriends – yes - serious boyfriends with whom I though I had been in love with at the time but I realized I had never truly been in love until I met Edward. He made me forget everything that was going on around me.

Thinking of the world around me...

"Oh god. Angela!" I gasped. I never got back to our motel last night and she must have been sick with worry.

"Don't worry." Edward said, pressing his forehead against mine. "I called back to your motel last night and told her you were out for the count. She made me promise to return you as soon as you woke up though, she said something about committing murder if she had to spend one more day in the company of Paris and Nicole."

I laughed. "Poor Angela. Jess and Lauren probably dragged her off to some kind of club last night."

I felt almost guilty for leaving Angela alone like that. Almost.

"By the way: why didn't you wake me up last night?" I asked.

"You were so deeply asleep I just couldn't bear to wake you up. You looked like you needed your sleep," he explained.

"I did, probably more than you could ever imagine." I nodded.

He looked at me curiously.

"Not all of us can afford this kind of luxury, you know. You've seen the place where I'm staying and between the horny barfing frat boys outside my window, the bouncy castle someone mistook for a mattress and the bitchfest going on in the bed next to me it's kind of hard to get a decent nights sleep."

He laughed at my statement. Then something he said dawned on me.

"Wait a minute. You said I was sound asleep?" I asked, remembering my habit of talking when I was deeply asleep.

He nodded.

"Dear lord. Please tell me I didn't start talking." I gasped.

He looked away. Damn.

"What did I say?" I demanded. I just knew it had to have been something embarrassing. Most of the time I just talked about books or shopping lists, but Angela told me that sometimed my dreams had been a lot more x-rated.

"Nothing much," he laughed. "Just something about having to fight the naked people."

"Oh God!" I groaned and hid my face in the pillow. I couldn't believe I had made such a fool out of myself yet again. Stupid Bella!

"And then of course you said my name." Edward added smugly.

The sudden remembrance of what Edward and I had done after he had rescued me from the angry mob of nearly naked people made all color drain from my face.

"That's not all I said, is it?" I asked, mortified.

"It is! I promise!" he said, placing a hand over his heart his green eyes still boring into mine with an amused expression.

"I don't believe you!" I whispered, hiding my face in my hair.

"Then do you remember what you dreamed about?" he whispered in my ear and I could see his crooked smile appear trough my shield of hair.

I managed a faint nod.

"Believe me. The only thing you _said_ was my name..." he assured me, still looking rather smug

For a moment I felt relieved. Edward looked honest enough to make me believe that I hadn't said anything too embarrassing. I may not have made a total ass out of myself after all. Then a thought hit me. Edward didn't said anything about _how_ I said it or what I _did._

I peeked up at him. The smile I saw said it all.

"Oh no!" I croaked. The thought that I might have nearly raped Edward somewhere during the night was enough to make me leap out of the bed and run into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

"Bella?" I heard Edward call through the door, worry laced in his voice. "Bella, please come out of the bathroom."

"No!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face. Why did I always have to ruin everything?

"I'm sorry for making you feel embarrassed, I really didn't mean to...please open the door?" he pleaded.

I sighed and leaned my head back against the door. Why did I always have to ruin everything with either my clumsiness or my sleep talking?

"So do you plan to stay in there indefinitely?" he asked.

"Why not?" I yelled back. "I think I have the basic necessities covered!" I looked around me. I had water, a toilet and towels to keep me warm. Food would eventually be a problem though.

"Bella?" Edward tried again. "If you don't open this door I'm going to have to resort to drastic measures."

"You're starting to sound just like my dad!" I yelled back. In fact, if he had added 'young lady' to his sentence he would have been exactly like my dad.

What was he going to do? Kick the door down? I laughed at the thought of Edward charging into the door to rescue the damsel in distress but moved to a safer spot none the less. I didn't feel the need to end up in the ER because I had been crushed by a door, though it wouldn't be the first time...

Instead of the thundering noise of a door being forced I heard muffled sounds. It was like he was talking to someone. After that everything went silent again.

A few moments later there was a knock on the door, some more talking and then the combined smells of bacon, scrambled eggs and blueberry pancakes hit my nose. My stomach started grumbling immediately and I was suddenly very aware of the fact that I had eaten nothing since yesterday afternoon.

Crap.

I quickly surveyed my options, weighing the embarrassment of having to face Edward against the demands of my empty stomach. In the end the mouthwatering smells coming from the other side of the door won.

Damn that man and his insufferable talent of making me do exactly what he wants!

I took a deep breath and opened the door, glaring at a now very amused Edward.

"Damn you for tempting me out of the bathroom with bacon!" I huffed, snatching a piece of bacon from a plate.

"All is fair in love and war!" he smiled back grabbing my arm and pulling me back onto the bed with him.

We spend the rest of the morning talking, eating and making out. Edward was smart enough not to mention my sleep talking again. Amazingly whatever I had said or done in my sleep didn't scare him off.

A look at the clock made me sigh. It was almost two in the afternoon and I knew Angela would be waiting for me.

"I really have to get back to the motel before Angela shows up and drags me back by my hair." I sighed.

Edward tightened his grip on me and buried his face in my hair.

"I'll take you back." he sighed, before getting up and dressing himself. I once again found myself blatantly staring at his glorious body. He just grinned at me whenever he caught me staring and went back to getting ready.

I walked over to the balcony, where I had hung my dress to dry. When I returned to the room I mustered what courage I had and decided to give Edward a little show. I flung the dress on the bed and unbuttoned the shirt Edward had lend me letting it slide down my arms and pool at my feat.

He stood there, frozen, looking at me in my lace underwear. He had gotten a good look at my body yesterday, but never as unclothed as it was now.

"Like what you see?" I asked.

He nodded, seemingly unable to speak and swallowed hard. Good! A least I wasn't the only one doing the staring!

I picked the dress up and flung it over my head.

"Too bad you told Angela you where returning me in the afternoon," I quipped before winking at him, opening the door and walking out of the room.

Edward remained silent for most of the drive back but I could see him sneaking glances at me whenever he thought I wasn't looking.

"Do you think Angela would let me take you out for dinner tonight?" he finally asked nervously.

Boy! Angela must have really put her foot down on the phone. She could be scary at times but I didn't think she'd get to Edward the way she did. "I think if you ask her nicely she just might." I replied.

When we arrived back at the motel Edward held open the car door for me and we walked back into the war zone that made up my motel. Angela was camped out by the pool reading a novel and shooting anxious glances around her, like she suspected some boy to sneak up on her and drag her back to his room. When she spotted us she breathed a sigh of relief and walked back with us to our room.

Before Edward left an interesting conversation took place between him and Angela. They even went so far as to barter about who got to spend which six hour period with Bella. I felt like a kid in a custody court.

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked, a little annoyed with the scene in front of me.

"No!" they yelled at the same time.

"Then will you please stop talking as if I'm not here?" I huffed. "If I wanted to hear two people arguing over me I would have gone to visit my parents."

In the end Edward and Angela reached an agreement and Edward got custody over me that night until noon tomorrow. If he dropped me off at the hotel only a minute after his allotted time he would loose visiting rights for the rest of the day, if he played nice he got to take both Ange and me out to dinner the next night.

As soon as Edward left Angela turned on me. She had this very annoying way of coaxing every bit of information out of you she wanted, just by being nice. Before long she had me telling her just about everything that happened yesterday and this morning.

"Wow Bella. Don't you think this is all going a bit fast?" she asked me as soon as I had told her everything.

"I don't know Ange. Perhaps it is. Perhaps I shouldn't be feeling like this so soon, but all I know is that being with Edward is like nothing else I've ever felt before. It's like my body is almost gravitating towards him. When I'm with him I just feel...whole. I don't know..."

"So are you saying you love him?"

"I think so. Is that very weird?"

Angela needed some time to think about that,

"No," she finally answered cautiously. "There's a phrase for that. It's called love at first sight. But please be careful Bella. Love is blind and very often those in love don't act like the smartest people on the planet "

"You sound just like my mom," I teased, walking towards my suitcase to pick out my clothes for tonight.

"Do you think you'll go all the way with him?" Angela asked.

"I seriously don't know." I replied truthfully. "If you would have asked me last week or even yesterday morning I would have said 'no way' but after everything that happened yesterday and this morning...I just don't know."

Angela nodded and helped me pick out a summery midnight blue wrap dress and matching blue slingbacks and got to work.

Sometime during our primping session Lauren strutted into the apartment. She took one look at me and sat down on the bed, looking grumpy.

"Another hot date with Edward?" she asked in an acid tone.

I nodded my head.

"You know I asked around a little about that Edward of yours and word out on the street is that he's absolutely loaded," she sneered.

"You know I don't care about that, Lauren," I replied, fixing my hair.

"You may not, but others do," she remarked with an evil glint in her eye.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, looking at her through the mirror's reflection.

"Don't you think he's a little out of your league?" she asked. She seemed almost blown away at my audacity for dating a guy who was rich and handsome.

Angela took in a sharp breath behind me but I silently pleaded with her to let it be. I wasn't going to let Lauren ruin my evening.

I spent the rest of my time ignoring the continuous jabs Lauren made at me for not being pretty, rich or blond enough for Edward but even though I knew these things didn't matter to him, they still made me feel self conscious.

At seven o clock sharp Edward picked me up. Much to my surprise we drove back to the hotel and he took me up to his room. I thought that perhaps he had forgotten something until I turned to see a table set up on the balcony and smelled the aroma's of food coming from a tray table in the room. It looked like we were going to stay here for our date.

I turned to look at Edward who was staring nervously at the floor.

"I realized there was no place I'd rather take you than here, so I just arranged for dinner to be brought up here. I hope you don't mind..." he muttered, looking absolutely terrified of my response. It melted my heart.

"Why would I mind?" I asked. How could I refuse a quiet dinner – delicious judging by the smell of it – with the man I loved?

"Well, you spend all that time getting ready to go out only to find out I'm just taking you back to my hotel room..." he said in a soft voice.

"I don't care about that," I sighed, relieved that it wasn't something more...difficult to reply to. "Most of the restaurants around town will be overcrowded and filled with the people I'd normally steer clear of anyway."

"And then when I took you up I realized how presumptuous it was of me to drag you up to my room for our second date," he continued, looking at the floor.

"Edward!" I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his chest. I had to fight back the urge to let out a relieved chuckle.

"There is no place on earth I'd rather be right now than here and really, you couldn't have done me a greater pleasure than with this..." I said, waving my arm at the table on the balcony. "There is nothing presumptuous about it and if I didn't feel comfortable about being here with you right now I would have told you so a long time ago."

"I just worried you might take this the wrong way..." he muttered burying his face in my hair.

"I trust you Edward, with all my heart." I stated calmly. "And after all we already slept together last night, so what is there to worry about?"

He started laughing after my last remark, just what I intended.

"Then let's go eat!" He said cheerfully, taking my hand and leaning me out onto the balcony. He pulled back my chair, kissing my bare shoulder as I sat down.

Dinner was perfect, but how could it be not when I had the most perfect man sitting across from me? Still, when I looked at him I felt nervous. Here we were, in his hotel room, with the whole night in front of us. The terror I felt now had started in my room back at the motel the moment it became clear that Edward would only have to return me tomorrow. I knew what that implied and it scared the hell out of me. I wasn't a virgin but I knew that if something where to happen tonight between Edward and I it would change things and thinking about that made my stomach to back flips.

I tried to reason with myself, tried to tell myself that it was way too soon for anything to happen but somehow last nights dream had changed something. I knew deep down inside that, though we only knew each other for three days, I was ready. But was he? Were we?

"Is something wrong?" Edward asked, no doubt alarmed by my silence.

"No, everything is perfect." I tried to make my voice sounds certain and reassuring but I knew that I had never been much of a liar.

Edward was beside me in less than a second. "Bella, please tell me what's wrong. You're killing me." he said anxiously.

"It's just...stupid." I answered, turning my face away from his worried stare.

"Nothing that makes you unhappy could ever be stupid. So please tell me," he demanded.

"I don't know," I started laughing, "It's just that I keep on feeling all these...things ...and I don't know how to...deal with all this." I stammered, gesturing between the two of us.

Before I knew what happed Edwards lips captured mine in a kiss that spoke louder than any word could ever do. "There's nothing stupid about thinking those things. And even if it where, I'd be stupid too."

He pulled me closer and his sweet scent washed away any lingering doubts his words or kisses hadn't erased. I wrapped my legs around him, wanting as little space as possible between us as his head rested on my shoulder, kissing a trail along my collarbone.

"Edward," I groaned. I wanted to feel more of him. I _needed_ to feel more of him.

He seemed to understand my unspoken request because he lifted me up and carried me inside, to his bed. He lay me down gently, giving me a chaste kiss, before his hand started to work on the bows that tied my dress together. When he was done unwrapping my dress he parted the two pieces, exposing my body to him.

"Beautiful," he muttered, his hand trailing a featherlight pattern over my body. I closed my eyes and arched into his touch.

After a while I got a little impatient. Having Edward touch me like this was amazing but I wanted more. A hunger was raging inside of me that needed to be stilled. I pushed him back onto the bed, straddling him and started to nimbly unbutton his shirt, amazed at my own skillfulness at such a time.

Edward's hands reached up and brushed the now open dress off my shoulders, leaving me in only my panties and bra. "Exquisite," he whispered as he leaned in to kiss every inch now exposed. I writhed against him, both in pleasure and impatience. His hands soon joined in, grazing my breasts through my bra before unhooking the claps.

"Beautiful," he whispered again as his hands moved gently over my mounds, grazing the nipples. Soon his mouth followed their movements, making me moan and writhe against him, eliciting a low hiss.

"Edward, please," I moaned.

"Tell me what you want me to do, Bella" he asked in a low and husky voice.

"Please...I want you...to make love to me...now" I panted.

He quickly flipped us over, somehow managing to shed his pants and boxers in the process.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, as I felt him position himself at my entrance.

"Please..." was all I managed to moan.

As he gently eased himself inside me he whispered words of love in my ears while his hands traveled over my body worshiping every part of it. I had never felt more loved in my entire life.

The feelings I felt when we moved against each other – inside each other- where almost more than I could bear. The electric shocks that passed between us every time we touched had turned to a steady current making every fiber of my being tremble. On top of that Edward sure was a lot more gifted than the two other men I'd slept with in my life. I felt myself slowly but surely being pushed towards a higher high than I'd ever experienced in my life.

We called out each others name as we flew over the edge together, his body collapsing onto mine. When he regained his breath Edward flipped us over so I was lying on his chest. He kissed my forehead as we both tried to regain control over our exhausted bodies.

"Sleep, Bella, my beautiful," he whispered in my ears as he started humming a sweet tune. It was the last thing I remembered before drifting off to sleep.

_**There you have it. My first lemon. How did I do? I wasn't entirely satisfied with it (no pun intended) but I didn't quite know how to improve on it.**_

_**Being a rather shy person it took me half a bottle of wine to work up the courage to write this. I sure hope it will get easier now since I intend to make this story a lot more lemony towards the end ;-)**_

_**You know the drill: review and I'll give you another chapter on Friday.**_


	8. Fade to black

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**Wow! I'm blown away by the response to the last chapter. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. I'm glad you liked the lemon. I was so nervous about writing it but I found writing that kind of stuff is also strangely addicting...I think the one in this chapter is better than the last one though.**_

_**Anyway, without further ado I give you the next chapter. It's one of the most heartbreaking chapters I've written though it does have a little bit of fruity delight in the beginning. I hope you like it.**_

**Fade to black. (flashback, lemon)**

I was awoken the next morning by the sound of someone banging on the door.

"EDDIE!" I recognized James's voice.

"I know you're in there! Don't make me break down this door!" he sang, his voice reverberating through the corridor.

Edward groaned as he recognized the intruder. He leaned over and kissed me softly on my lips.

"I'd better see what he wants or he's really take down the door," he sighed as he got up from the bed, put on his boxers and walked toward the door.

"EDDIE!" James yelled as soon as Edward opened the door.

"It's EDWARD. What do you want?" Edward grunted.

"Just checking up on you. We hadn't seen you in ages man. I was starting to think you'd done a runner!"

"I'm still here as you can see, now go away." Edward snarled and by the sound of it he tried to close the door on James.

Apparently James would have none of that because next thing I knew he had brushed past Edward and stalked into the room, stopping abruptly when he took in the sight in front of him. Our clothes where scattered across the room and I was sitting on the bed, my hair a mess and wrapped in nothing but a blanket and no doubt blushing fire-engine red. You didn't have to be a nuclear physicist to guess what had happened here.

"Whoa dude! You tapped that?" he yelled almost awe-struck at the sight in front of him.

I was actually surprised that Edward didn't strangle him right that second, I sure as hell wouldn't have stopped him. In stead, Edward just stood there, his hands clenched into fist, glaring at James. Underneath all the anger radiating off him I could also sense a glimpse of...pride. It must be a man thing. I had remembered Emmet acting pretty much in the same way when my dad grilled him about his love live. I made a mental note to ask Edward about that later.

"Say what you have to say and get the hell out of here!" Edward snarled.

"Good work man!" James nodded approvingly - ignoring Edwards last remark - , smacking him on the shoulder. "Didn't think you had it in you! Well, I knew you had it in you but the way you've been acting the last couple of years I thought you'd joined some kind of chastity club or turned gay or something," he added grinning, before he tuned to leave.

He turned around by the door. "Oh and by the way: Laurent and I have hired a bunch of jet ski's for the afternoon so unless you're otherwise engaged," he looked pointedly at me, "be in front of the hotel at one."

Edward closed the door behind him and leaned against it, pinching the bridge of his nose. I stood up from the bed still wrapped in the sheets and walked towards him. He opened his arms for me and rested his head on mine. I felt his the tension slowly slipping from he body as he held me.

"Sometimes I really don't know why I don't just string his neck," he sighed, kissing the top of my head.

"I really wouldn't mind if you did!" I laughed.

He lifted my chin and kissed me softly.

"Good morning," he whispered against my lips.

"It is now," I replied, brushing my nose softly against his lips.

"Hmmm," his eyes closed as he kissed a trail along my jaw. "I had a completely different idea of starting this day with you.

"Pray tell me, what did you have in mind?" I purred as seductively as I could manage. Judging by his current state of excitement it was not hard to guess in which direction these ideas went.

"I could tell you all about it..." he started. "But it would be much better if I showed you," he added with a devious little smile.

I blushed as my body started tingling with excitement. Edward lifted me into his arms and I found myself back on the bed in no time.

His hands unwrapped the sheets from my body while his eyes gazed into mine. He rested his head on his left hand as his right hand ran lightly from my jaw all the way to my hips, leaving a trail of molten fire in it's wake.

"You're so beautiful" he whispered as his hands reached my throbbing bundle of nerves and gently rubbed over it.

I gasped and let my head fall back as I felt his slip a finger inside of me, his thumb continuing to move over my aching nub.

He leaned in to kiss me and the combined sensations of feeling his tongue against mine while his hands were pleasuring my core was enough to send me flying. I leaned against him, moaning all sorts of incoherent things as I felt my body start to tremble and I could faintly hear Edward whisper something in my ear though the meaning of his words got lost in the intensity of the climax raging trough my body.

I turned onto my side so that I could get a better look at him. He sighed and closed his eyes as I let my fingers explore the muscles on his chest. I flipped us over and straddled him, replacing my fingers with my lips, while my hips slowly rocked against his now very aroused groin.

"Oh God, Bella!" he groaned as I took one of his nipples in my mouth and gently bit down on it. I kissed my way down to his waist, looking up to find him staring at me with eager anticipation, before leaning in and taking him out of his boxers. He hissed as my hands started to gently stroke up and down his shaft. His hisses turned into full blown moans as I enveloped him in my mouth, wanting enjoy the taste of him. I felt him coming close when he suddenly pulled me up and claimed my lips in a fevered kiss.

When he pulled back I looked at him in confusion.

"I don't want to finish like that," he explained, "even though that was one of the most amazing things I ever felt."

I felt elated at being able to evoke such a strong reaction in him, it made me feel like I belonged next to Edward. No matter what Lauren had said or other people might think, he wanted me here and as long that was the fact I would never leave his side.

Edward flipped us over again, fully shedding his boxers in the process. Our bodies intertwined as he kissed me but still it felt like there was too much space between us.

"Please Edward, I want to feel you inside of me again." I begged.

I cried out as he satisfied my request. Our bodies once again joined in the most intimate of ways. I closed my eyes as I felt his hips undulating against mine, my body nearly exploding with all the emotions raging inside.

His lips came crashing down on mine again, our kiss deepening as our bodies continued to move in perfect sync building up to the point where I couldn't hold back any longer.

"Edward!" I moaned as I felt my body trembling and contracting with my second orgasm of the morning. He followed soon after, calling out my name as he came.

"I love you," he panted, as his body crashed onto mine.

"I love you too," I whispered, wrapping myself around him, not wanting to let go of this moment just yet.

We just lay there, gaining our breath and stealing kisses every now and then until Edwards alarm clock started beeping. I groaned. We had set the alarm at 10:30 AM last night to prevent us from missing the curfew Angela had set.

"I don't want to leave," I sighed, pulling Edwards body closer against me.

"I don't want you to," Edward replied softly.

In the end there was no ignoring the impending deadline.

"I should get you back to Angela. I wouldn't want to run the risk of not being allowed to see you for the rest of your trip," Edward said. It was obvious that he took Angela's threats very serious.

"I guess not," I sighed. I really didn't want to leave. Ever. But I also knew I owed it to Angela to spend some time with her.

We took a shower together and though we didn't do anything but wash and dry each others bodies, it felt every bit as intimate as the moment of passion we had just shared. I got dressed afterwards and had a quick bite to eat before Edward had to get me back to my motel.

Edward decided to spend the afternoon with James and the rest of the group. He said it would be easier to get all the teasing from James - which was sure to ensue - over with before he would interrupt us again. He dropped me off in front of the hotel and as I walked in I mentally prepared myself for another round of interrogation from Angela.

"Bella?" Angela called, as soon as she heard me come in. She sounded anxious.

"What is it?" I replied, getting a little worried myself.

"Your brother just called. He sounded very upset. He asked me to have you call him back as soon as you got in."

I ran towards the phone and dialed my brothers number. "Did he say anything about why he called?" I asked as the phone rang.

Angela shook her head.

"Em?" I asked, as my brother picked up, panic clear in my voice.

"Bella!" I heard my brother sigh on the other end, the broken sound of his voice doing nothing to ease my worries.

"What's wrong? What's happened?"

"It's dad." Emmet replied. "He's had a heart attack."

"What!" I managed to croak as I felt my body go limp with shock and drop to the floor. "Is he going to be alright?"

"They don't know," Emmet sounded defeated. "It's bad, Bella. Very bad."

"I'll get home as soon as I can. Take care of mom." I sobbed.

"I will. I have to get back to her now, she's completely devastated." He sighed. "Oh, and Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Please hurry." With that he hung up.

Angela was beside me immediately. She wrapped her arms around me and let me cry until I regained some control over myself.

"What happened?" she asked.

"It's my dad. He's had a heart attack. I need to get home as soon as I can." I sobbed.

I tried to pick up the phone to call the airport but my hand trembled too much and I dropped the receiver.

"Let me." Angela said, gently taking the phone from my hands, one arm still wrapped around me. She made reservations for two people on a plane leaving for Seattle in about two hours and ordered a cab to pick us up in front of the hotel in half an hour.

"You didn't think I'd let you travel on your own in the state you're in right now, did you?" she answered my puzzled look.

"Thanks Ange." I sniffed.

"We'd better get packing," she sighed. "Are you up to it?"

"I think so," I replied, suddenly glad about the fact that I had decided to leave most of my things in the suitcase.

I filed through the room, quickly grabbing the stuff that belonged to me and flinging it into my suitcase. I completely worked on autopilot. My mind was spinning with the thought of my father – my big strong healthy father – lying in some hospital bed, critically ill. As I shoved the dress I had been wearing into my suitcase after I had changed into a t-shirt and jeans, some snippets of everyday life drifted back into my mind, making me painfully aware of another problem.

"Edward!" A new wave of heartbreak flowed over me when I realized that I didn't have a way of reaching him to let him know what was going on. Why did I have to be so stupid? I had been tailing along after Edward like some kind of lovesick puppy all the while forgetting the things that were really important, such as getting his phone number so that I could reach him if something came up, such as now.

"What about him?" Angela asked, noticing my new wave of panic.

"We were supposed to meet him tonight, he won't know what is going on!" I cried.

"Can you call him?" she asked.

I crumbled to the floor for the second time in half an hour. "I don't have his number, Ange! What do I do? How could I be so stupid! I don't even remember the name of his hotel!"

"Ask Jessica if she can pass a message to him when he gets here tonight," Angela said, once again trying to comfort me.

Right that moment Lauren walked in.

"Lauren, have you seen Jess?" I asked.

"Think she's off with some guy," Lauren shrugged, plopping down on the bed.

Crap. I would have to ask Lauren, the one person I would never usually confide in.

"Listen, I have to leave. My father's in hospital. Can you give a message to Edward from me? We were supposed to go out tonight."

She looked annoyed. "Do I look like a carrier pigeon? Why don't you just call him?"

"I don't have his number and I'm supposed to be on a plane to Seattle in little over an hour. I wouldn't ask this of you if I had any other chance. Please Lauren, do this for me?"

She still seemed reluctant, let out a deep breath. "Fine, I'll give him your message." she huffed.

I quickly wrote something on a piece of paper.

_Edward,_

_My brother called, my dad's in hospital. He's had a heart attack. I'm getting on a plane in an hour to fly back to Forks._

_I'm so sorry about having to leave like this but I couldn't think of any other way of reaching you._

_I love you. Please call me as soon as you get this note._

_Bella._

I quickly scribbled my number on the bottom of the note, folded it and handed it to Lauren.

"Please give him this when he gets here tonight." I pleaded.

"Sure, sure," she waved me away, studying her fingernails.

"Bella, we have to leave. The taxi is here." Angela's voice sounded from outside. I quickly grabbed my bags and left, hoping I would make it to Forks in time.

--

The flight to Seattle passed in a blur. I was still in shock. So much had happened since last night, good things and bad things. The thought that my father could die at any given second - that I might be too late – made my stomach turn. Thank God Angela was with me, or I would have ended up in a wrong plane or in hospital.

The first thing I remembered after leaving Panama City Airport was seeing Jacob by the gate in Seattle. Angela must have called ahead to let them know when we would arrive. Jake silently took our bags and lead us over to his car. Angela pushed me in the back with her while Jacob slid into the drivers seat.

"Is my dad still alive?" I asked him, terrified of the answer.

"Last thing I heard he was," Jake answered gravely, "but he's hanging by a thread."

I loves Jacob for his honesty. He would never guild the lily, not even if he knew that what he had to say would hurt me.

Jacob and I had been friends for as long as I could remember. His father and mine were fishing buddies and from the time we we small we were frequently thrown into each others company. We had even been a couple for a while when we were both in high school but though Jacob really loved me – and still did - I couldn't return his feelings. I had never been in love with him, I had merely been in love with the idea of fulfilling the wishes of both our dads and Jacob.

Jacob had been heartbroken when I ended our relationship but in the end he chose friends over nothing. I knew that he still hoped for more, but that could never be. Certainly not now that I had met Edward.

I glanced at my phone – almost willing it to ring – but it remained silent. Would Lauren have given him my message by now? Or was he still out on the water with his friends?

I saw Jacob stealing anxious glances at me through the rear view mirror. I must really have been looking like a mess. I had put on fresh clothes but my hair was still a mess and I was sure my face didn't look that much better.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened with my dad?"

"There's not that much to tell..." Jacob started. "One moment he was filing some paperwork on a case and the next moment he was on the ground clutching at his chest and panting for breath."

I flinched at his words.

"Officer Crowley called for an ambulance and they took him to the hospital. They managed to get his heart going again in the ER but they said that he was still to weak to go into surgery. If he survives the next twenty four hours or so he'll have to undergo bypass-surgery to repair the damage to his heart."

My head pounded with all the information. I tried to imagine Charlie strapped to a gurney but somehow I couldn't imagine my strong, stoic father struggling for his life. It was just wrong. My father and Emmet were the type of men that never got sick. They were always just...there...when you needed them. Like a tower of strength.

"Are my mom and Emmet with my dad?" I asked, willing myself to speak so I wouldn't have to think.

"Yes. My dad and Sue are keeping an eye on them, Leah and Seth are back at your place, calling the rest of your family and your parents friends. Your mother's having a very rough time though," he said.

Jacob continued to speed along the roads at breakneck speed, the rabbit – the name he had given his car - protesting at being stretched to it's limit.

We reached the hospital in almost half the time it would have normally cost us. As soon as the car came to a halt I jumped out the backseat and ran into the hospital. I knew my way around, having been there countless times since I was young.

When I reached my father's room I flung open the door and took in the scene before me. My brother was holding my crying mother in his arms, his eyes red with tears. On the bed lay the motionless figure of my father.

Nobody had to tell me what had happened. I had been too late. My father was dead.

--

"I'm pregnant."

Saying it out loud, even to an empty room seemed to make it much more real than just looking at the little stick in front of me and hearing those same words over and over again in my head.

I stared disbelievingly at the little blue cross in front of me. Just when I had thought that things couldn't get any worse the universe springs this on you. I guess karma really is a bitch.

When I had missed my period a few weeks back I didn't think that much of it. I had never been very regular and with the added stress and lack of appetite caused by my sorrow I didn't really think that something was wrong. I didn't have sex in between my last period and now so I had nothing to worry about...or so I thought. The moment I had started throwing up in the mornings, however, the alarm bells had started ringing in my head. I remembered something my biology teacher had said about some women still getting their period even though they were pregnant.

Edward and I hadn't used protection both of the times we had had sex and now I was pregnant. The finality of that statement reverberated through my head as I sat in my dark dorm room in shock, still staring at the positive pregnancy test in front of me.

--

Some weeks had passed since my father's death but I still felt the loss like it had happened yesterday. When the knowledge that I had lost my father had finally sunk in I had cried for hours on end.

There would be no more Charlie bringing home a pile of fresh fish on Saturday evening.

No more Charlie coming home at night and hanging up his gun belt, grumbling about some prank the kids of Forks had played.

No more Charlie checking to see if I was safely tucked up in bed before he went to sleep.

No more awkward conversations.

No more Charlie.

In the end the doctors gave me a sedative and Jacob and Leah took me home to rest. After a night of nightmares I tried to pull myself together, put on a brave face for my brother and most of all my mother.

My dad and my mom had had a crappy marriage for as long as I could remember. The last ten years they had been together had been devoted to avoiding each other as much as possible and speaking even less when circumstances forced them to be in each others company.

I had spend most of my youth actually hoping my parents would get divorced. As much as it would hurt me to have to choose between my parents, it had to be better than growing up in the middle of the Cold War.

I had kept my phone on me at all times - even wen I went to bed at night – but after a few days realization dawned on me: he wasn't going to call.

I couldn't even blame him. He was too good for me. Lauren had made it pretty clear. He was rich, handsome and talented. Everything that I was not and most of all: I was a horrible person.

When I had left he must have realized he had made a lucky escaped and gone out with James and his friends to celebrate. It was just a summer thing. A spring fling. As soon as that realization settled in I had begun to see everything he said and did in a different light, noticing for the first time how eager he had been to ship me back to Angela that last morning. The hint of pride in his eyes when he had been arguing with James suddenly didn't look like a sign that he loved me anymore. It had just been pride at having made yet another conquest. The most stupid thing was that he had told me all about it that day on the boat and I had never taken his words to heart. I had been stupid and naive.

Still, in spite of all my reasoning the loss of Edward left a gaping hole in my chest that wouldn't go away. It almost equaled the pain I felt for the loss of my father, triggering another wave of guilt. I must be the worst daughter in the world, not just for jumping into bed with an almost stranger while my father was having a heart attack, but also for grieving about the loss of said stranger just as much as I grieved for my father.

I had tried to hold myself together in front of mt family and friends. The pain I felt could easily be attributed to the death of my father. They didn't need to deal with this right now and besides I was far too frightened of what they would say when they found out what had happened in Florida.

I spend another few days in Forks after the funeral, taking care of my mom and paying courtesy calls to everybody who attended the funeral. My mother was still to wrapped up in her loss to care about such things.

I dropped Emmet of at the airport on my way back to Yale. I knew he suspected that something was the matter, but he didn't press me. The only thing he did was ask me to call him if the pain got too much. I promised, even though I knew the four horsemen of the apocalypse would have to come charging past my window before I would even consider calling him. Emmet had been so sad and so serious the last few days. I had never seen him like that in my entire life. He didn't need to deal with my issues right now.

When I returned to Yale I threw myself into my studies, wanting to prove to my family and myself that I could do at least something right.

I had paid a visit to Lauren and Jess and casually asked Lauren if she had passed my note on to Edward. She replied that she had but that he didn't say anything and had just left, thus confirming my suspicions that he had never seen what had happened between us as more than just a casual romance.

There was, however, that annoying little voice in the back of my head telling me that there was no way that I could have misinterpreted every word, look and touch that had passed between us. That night and the following morning in his hotel room we didn't just have sex, we had made love. He told me that he loved me.

Then there was always the rational side of me – getting more dominant each day that passed without a call - that told me that I was just a naive little girl that had read too many romance novels. I suddenly remembered a line from one of my favorite movies when I was younger _'men speak conveniently of love when it suits them'_. Oh, how I should have thought about that before!

--

And so here I was. Pregnant at the age of twenty one.

Somehow time must have passed while I was staring vacantly in front of me because I heard Angela come home and toss her bag into a corner of the room.

I didn't even have to explain to her what was going on. She took one look at the pregnancy test in front of me and at the expression on my face and she knew.

"What do I do, Ange?" I managed to stammer in between sobs.

"Do you intend to keep it?" she asked.

"Yes." There had never been a doubt in my mind about that. I didn't know how I was going to bring up this baby but I just knew I couldn't destroy the life growing inside of me. I could never kill something that had sprung from the purest act of love my body would ever experience, even though it had just been me who had felt it like that.

"You should tell him." she said softly.

"Tell him what?" I cried.

"That you're carrying his child?" she replied, confused by my question.

"So, do you really imagine me just driving up to Dartmouth and saying 'Hey I don't know if you remember me but we had sex the other night and now you're going to be a daddy'? I'm sure he'll just love that!" I replied sarcastically.

"He has a right to know, Bella," she replied.

I shook my head. "He forfeited that right when he didn't call me. He doesn't want me! Then why should I bother him with this!" I cried, motioning at the test in front of me. "Promise me you won't tell anyone about Edward. Ever!"

"But Bella?"

"PROMISE!" I screamed. I couldn't think clearly. The combination of pain, fear and confusion had paralyzed my brain. The only thing I did know was that I didn't want more pain. That I couldn't _handle_ any more pain. And seeing Edward again right now would certainly mean more pain. Any event that would lead to me having to face Edward – such as telling my family about him and running the risk they would track him down – was to be avoided at all cost. That was even beside the fact that I didn't want to bother him with all my drama.

Angela sighed. "Okay, I promise. But you should at least speak to your mom, if only about you being pregnant, before you do anything else."

I knew she was right. I feared the prospect of having to disappoint my mom, but after she would recover from the shock she would help me deal with this, She had given birth twice, she would know what to do.

I called my mother, my voice shaking during the entire conversation. She must have heard it too because she agreed to drive out to Yale this weekend without making any objections.

--

"I have a piece of news for you that will shock you but I hope you'll be able to look at this rationally once you've calmed down." I said, trying to keep my voice from trembling.

"You're not pregnant are you?" she asked jokingly.

I stared at the sofa upholstery, nervously playing with a loose thread. I didn't dare to answer my mothers question.

"Please, Bella, tell me you're not pregnant," she demanded in a pleading tone.

"I'm sorry mom. I know what you must think of me," I whispered.

"When did all this happen? I didn't even know you where seeing anyone!" I could hear her getting angry.

"Spring break," there was no way around this, so I figured I'd best be honest.

It took a minute for her to grasp what I was saying.

"So you mean to tell me that while your father lay dying in hospital you where out there fucking some random guy like you where some kind of cheap ass whore?" She shrieked.

"It wasn't like that, mom. I was in love." Though I had braced myself for my mothers anger her words still stung.

She snorted sarcastically. "Sure. If you say so." Her words cut through me like a knife.

"And might I ask," she continued, "where the father – the supposed love of your life – is now?"

I cringed. "We're not together anymore," I admitted.

We remained silent for a couple of minutes. My mom being too angry to speak and I too frightened.

"So, I guess you've made arrangements?" she asked.

"What?"

"For the abortion of course." she clarified.

"Mom, I'm keeping the baby," I replied, not managing anything above a whisper.

"YOU WHAT?" She jumped up from her chair in anger.

"I'm not going to have an abortion."

"Now you listen to me," she huffed. "It's one thing that you're stupid enough to let yourself get knocked up by some stranger but if you think I'm going to let you throw away your future – everything your father and I have worked for all these years – then you don't know me at all."

"I'm keeping this baby, mom. There's nothing you can do to make me act otherwise."

"Just you see," she snarled, pacing up and down the room.

She finally turned to me. "If you decide to be stupid enough to waste your life then don't expect me to stand by the sideline supporting you. If you intend on keeping this baby then you're on your own."

With that she marched out of the room, slamming the door on her way out.

The days that followed seemed to pass in a haze. I remembered curling up into a ball on the sofa, being moved to my bed by Angela's soft hands and someone – Angela? - forcing some kind of hot liquid down my throat.

The first thing I remembered clearly was my brother walking into my room.

"Bella," he sighed, pulling me into a tight embrace.

"Did she tell you what happened?" I asked.

He just nodded.

"Then you hate me too," I cried.

"No, Bella," he stated calmly, "I don't hate you. I wont lie to you. I am disappointed, but I could _never _hate you and I will never _ever _abandon you."

"What should I do Emmet?" I sobbed, after I had explained my side of the story, carefully avoiding every detail that could be traced back to Edward.

"How about you finish your semester here as best as you can, and come back to New York with me afterwards. I have more than enough room for you and the little one at my apartment."

I shook my head. "I could never ask that of you and besides it would mean I would have to quit university and that would be like acknowledging to everyone that I've failed."

Emmet started to laugh.

"Have you looked at yourself recently" he boomed. "You're in no fit state to take care of yourself right now, and by the way: how did you expect to attend classes when you're ready to pop out a baby at any moment?" His chest shook with laughter, making my throbbing head shake with it. I groaned.

"No sis," he continued, "you're going to let me take care of you for a while. You're going to take time to heal, give birth and take care of your baby and then – when you're ready - you're going back to university to prove everyone wrong, even if I have to kick your sorry ass through the gates myself."

"Thank you," I whispered burying myself in my brothers chest. I still felt wrong about placing my burden on his shoulders but I realized I needed his help right now.

"You, me and the baby squirt are going to be alright," he assured me.

And that was all I needed to hear.

_**So this was the last of the flashback chapters for now. I feel so bad about having to kill Charlie. I hope you still like this chapter even though it's sad. The next chapter will contain the event we've all been waiting for (finally!)**_

_**At first this chapter was divided into two chapters (I think you can even see where I intended to break it) but I figured you all would probably start throwing stones at me when I delayed the reunion any further... **_

_**The movie line referred to in this chapter is from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. I must have seen that movie about twenty times when I was in highschool even though I don't like Kevin Kostner.**_

_**I hope I described the things Bella feels clearly without triggering too much confusion, but just in fact I didn't: she feels mostly guilty. She thinks she's been a terrible daughter by not being there for her father when he needed her. The fact that she was in bed with Edward thoroughly enjoying herself only makes matters worse. She also feels like she has failed herself. She never thought she was missing out on life experience by keeping herself aloof, now she thinks she has proven her mother right in her concern that it would bite her in the back someday.**_

_**Okay, I'll stop now. Please review?**_


	9. Fight or flight

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Fight or flight.**

I stood in front of my closet, trying to get a grip on myself. The week had passed by pretty uneventful. I spend my days teaching, taking care of Libby, helping Rose through the final stages of her pregnancy and comforting Emmet – who was on the receiving end of Rose's frustrations about not being able to make her baby come out – as best as I could. It was the nights that had me almost falling apart. The dreams about the blissful hours Edward and I had spend together and the nightmare that followed it returning every night, wearing me out both physically and emotionally.

The dreams I had had over the last couple of days had been so vivid, so real. It was almost like he had been in the room with me. Like I could feel his hands all over me again, hear his velvety smooth voice whisper in my ear. It made me feel the pain of what I had lost over and over again.

It was like Libby's questions had unintentionally opened the part of my soul where I had locked up the memories of the few days we had spend together and now they came seeping back into my thoughts at any given moment.

When I finally manage to dress myself and get ready for another day Libby was already waiting in the living room. She had started to dress herself as soon as she was able to, being unhappy with the clothes I usually tended to pick for her. Every night I would lift her in front of her closet and she would pick out the clothes she would wear the other day and dress herself in the mornings. The only thing she still needed help with was her hair.

After I was done with Libby's hair and we had both had our breakfasts I quickly grabbed both our bags and brought Libby to kindergarten, before taking a subway back to my own work.

Today my juniors would unveil their versions of Pride and Prejudice told from the perspective of Mrs. Bennet and I was looking forward to see what they had made of it. Pride and Prejudice had been my favorite novel from the time I had first read it when I was twelve. It was the book I had been reading the first time I had felt Libby move inside me and therefore – and because I really liked the flow of the name - I had decided to name Libby after the main characters of the novel: Darcy Elizabeth.

I loved giving my pupils assignments like the one they had prepared for today and most of the time I made a big event of presenting their work. Though most of the kids were a little uneasy at first about having to stand in front of their classmates and 'sell' their homework to them, in the end most of them got used to them and even started to like it.

When I had just started teaching at his school Aro had frequently raised his eyebrows at my sometimes somewhat unorthodox style of teaching. Every time he passed my classroom and he heard noises of pupils reenacting the highlights of English literature he'd call me to his office during lunch break and start whining about the proper way to cram the curriculum down the throats of a bunch of unsuspecting teens.

When finally he realized that my pupils seemed to like my way of teaching and they were actually picking things up faster than the other kids he had backed off and let me do things my way, for which I was still grateful.

Class started and I was relieved to see that both the Volturi twins were absent today. At least that was one problem out of the way.

"Is there anyone who'd like to volunteer sharing their insights into the mind of Mrs Bennet with us?" I asked.

Much to my amazement Demetri's hand went up almost immediately.

"Demetri! I am all astonishment!"

Usually Demetri was one of those boys who cut every available corner. He was always one of the last ones to hand in his assignments and his work was mostly just about deserving of a passing grade.

I motioned for Demetri to join me in front of the class.

"Which chapter did you choose for your assignment?" I asked.

"I chose the bit where she finds out that Lizzy turned down Mr. Collins's proposal," he answered with a smirk.

"Okay, let's have it," I replied, sitting down behind my desk. Judging by the look on his face this was going to be good.

Demetri cleared his voice and started to read his assignment aloud to the class, his voice taking on a squeaky feminine tone. By the time he had gotten to the second paragraph everybody – including me - was rolling over their desks with laughter.

Okay, his choice of words was modern – I couldn't for the life of me imagine Mrs. Bennet saying things like 'You've really fucked things up this time' - but the way in which he portrayed Mrs Bennet was actually rather good. He made her seem her usual excitable self but had also made her more real by adding her fears of ending up in the poorhouse surrounded by her five spinster daughters. He had really tracked down the essence of the character!

"Excellent!" I laughed, after he was done. "You can return to your seat now."

Demetri bowed to the applause of his classmates and sat down again, a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Is there anyone who dares to follow after this?" I asked.

Judging by the way everyone tried to look as inconspicuous as possible, nobody felt the urge to share their work and I decided to leave them be. Demetri's assignment was a tough act to follow.

"Okay. What I hope you learned from this assignment is that things aren't always what they seem. Sometimes a character in a novel may seem silly and one-dimensional, but when you get to think about that character you may find there is a whole other way of looking at things."

Some of my pupils, including Demetri, nodded.

"Next time we'll focus on all the main characters from the novel and compare their character traits and flaws. In preparation for the assignment, which will take place in class, I expect you to prepare a brief character description of all the main characters in the novel. You will need this for the assignment, so don't skip through it."

Emily, one of the girls raised her hands. "What will the assignment be?" she asked.

"You will be teamed up in pairs and assigned one of the characters from the novel. One of you will play this character, one of them will be it's psychiatrist. Together you will assess the characters traits and flaws and draw up a plan for the character to better him- or herself."

Somewhere during my speech the bell rang and the pupils were starting to get up.

"Don't forget to leave your assignment about Mrs Bennet on my desk before You leave!" I called.

--

Second period had just started when Renata came running into my classroom looking pretty shaken.

"Miss Swan? Could I talk to you for a moment?" she asked.

I quickly set my class to work on an assignment and followed Renata to the corridor.

"You're sister in law just called. Apparently she's gone into labor and your brother isn't picking up his phone. She needs you to come to the hospital immediately. She sounded rather angry."

I could understand now why Renata seemed a little upset. Dealing with Rose in a normal situation was taxing enough, let alone dealing with an angry and hurt Rosalie Hale. I could only begin to imagine the abuse she had hollered at the poor receptionist through the phone.

"Is she in hospital already?" I asked.

"Yes, she said you should do directly to New York Presbyterian. Aro said not to worry about your students, he'll take over for this time. He'll be here in a few minutes," she replied.

I felt horrified about the fact that Aro had to take over my class. I was sure to hear about that at some point.

My face must have betrayed my emotions because I heard Renata snicker beside me. "Don't worry about Aro," she said. "He's thrilled to actually be teaching a class again. He won't ever admit it but he really misses teaching. I think you're in more danger of being hugged than being yelled at!"

I shuddered at the prospect of being hugged by Aro. There was something very...odd about that man. He scared me a little and I had always made sure to keep as much distance between us as possible.

"Okay. Thanks, and sorry about Rose. She can be a bit….overpowering at times." I apologized.

Renata smiled. "That's okay. I'd probably be in just the same kind of state if it was me," she sighed and walked away.

I quickly walked into my classroom, explained to my 11th graders what was happening and grabbed my coat. I was halfway out of the building when I remembered that I'd probably still be at the hospital by the time I'd have to pick Libby up from school.

I ran back up and barged into Jaspers classroom. He was right in the middle of one of his flaming arguments about something that had happened God knows how many years ago and leaped up in surprise when I came storming in.

"Mr. Whitlock," I panted. "Might I see you outside for a second?"

Judging by the catcalls some of his pupils made when we both retired to the corridor they had a whole different idea about what was going on.

"Rose is in labor and since that stupid idiot of a brother of mine isn't picking up his phone I have to go to the hospital and assist Rose."

"Emmet's not picking up his phone? Is he suicidal?" Jasper chuckled.

"Apparently," I replied. "Listen, I'd probably be there for a while so would you mind picking Libby up from kindergarten this afternoon?"

"No, not at all!" Jasper replied eagerly. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it!"

Jasper and Libby had been thick as thieves from the moment they met. Jasper was perfect with her. Libby could be a little much to take in at first but his patience and calm had a soothing effect on her that sometimes really amazed me. Libby adored him, probably because she had had him wrapped around her little finger from the get go. She even called him uncle Jasper now.

"Thanks Jasper. You're a lifesaver,"

"Don't mention it. Tell Rose I said good luck!" he called after me as I ran out of the building for the second time.

I hailed a cab and told the driver to get to the hospital as fast as he could. The cab wove through traffic at breakneck speed. Luckily Rose had opted for a hospital that wasn't too far out of the way.

As soon as the cab had dropped me off in front of the hospital I ran to the main desk to ask for direction and jumped into an elevator in search for the Labor and Delivery Unit.

"Rosalie Hale?" I managed to pant at the nurse behind the desk.

"What is your relation to the patient?" The nurse asked with a nervous smile. It was obvious she had met Rose.

"She's my brother's girlfriend."

The nurse smiles apologetically at me and gave me directions to find Rose before I sped down the hall. As I rounded the corner to the corridor that held the ante-partum rooms I realized that I didn't really need directions since Rose, never one to suffer in silence, was screaming for someone – anyone- to get 'the thing' out of her.

I hesitantly opened the door.

"Hi Rose! How are you doing?" Somehow I managed to make my voice sound light-hearted in stead of scared.

She simply shot me a death glare and continued to gaze at the ceiling.

"How far along are you?"

"They say it will probably be a few more hours before they can get this thing out of me." She huffed, pointing at her belly, "And they refuse to give me any medication for the pain." She continued, shooting daggers at a poor nurse that happened to be in the neighborhood.

"Remember, Rose, you love your baby and you'll love it even more once it is born." I said, trying to make her see reason.

"Yeah, yeah." She sighed, gesturing for me to come over.

I hugged her and pulled up a chair to sit next to her.

"Is there anything I can get you?" I asked after a while.

"Caramel Frappuchino." Rose immediately answered.

I smiled. During the later stages of her pregnancy Rose had had a craving for Caramel Frappuchino's.

I had just got up to find her the drink when another contraction reared it's ugly head and Rose started yelling again. I moved to comfort her but she pushed me away.

"I WANT A CARAMEL FRAPPUCHINO AND I WANT IT NOW!" Rose yelled in my ear as she worked trough the pain.

"I'll get it sweetie. I'll just be a minute." I said, my ears throbbing.

"Come back soon." Rose pouted, she looked almost scared.

"Will do." I leaned in to kiss her forehead and hurried out of the room.

I almost ran through the hospital in my panic to get Rose her Frappuchino, at some point almost forgetting my balance issues. I guess fear outweighed clumsiness. Luckily I remembered from earlier visits to the hospital that there was a Starbucks coffee cart in the main building. I hoped it wasn't too busy.

I had to wait in line for ten minutes before I could finally get my hands on a Frappuchino. I contemplated asking the people in front of me if I could go first since there was a pregnant woman waiting for me, but I probably wasn't the first one who'd tried that.

When I finally made it through the line I grabbed my drink and ran back to the building that housed the Labor and Delivery Unit. When I rounded the corner to the elevators I bumped into something soft.

"I'm so sorry." I muttered, thanking my surprisingly lucky starts that the people from Starbucks had put a lid on my drink or things would have gotten really embarrassing.

I looked up to see if the other party was alright. It wouldn't have been the first time that I had put some unsuspecting innocent in hospital because of my clumsiness.

As I looked into the familiar green eyes of Edward Cullen I could feel the world around me crumble to pieces.

--

I don't know how long we stood there staring into each others eyes, neither of us knowing what to say.

As I looked into the face of the man who broke my heart a million questions occurred, all screaming to be answered. What was he thinking? Was he happy to see me or just embarrassed to run into one of his former lovers? Did he think me much changed? Why hadn't he called me? Had he found someone else? Someone better than me? What was he even doing here?

He shifted his weight nervously. I had to say something. I couldn't just let him get away from me again. Could I?

"Hi?" I managed to stammer, making it sound more like a question.

"Bella..." his voice sounded haunted, desperate almost.

I tried to come up with a good follow-up to 'hi'. I couldn't very well start with the questions my subconscious was screaming at me or he'd probably think I was some weird lunatic stalker but on the other hand 'how have you been' somehow didn't sound very appropriate either.

"Bella." he repeated, his hands suddenly cradling my face. "I have to talk to you."

It was then that panic struck. Hard.

I couldn't do this. Not now. Not here. I had spent months trying to get some amount of control over the pain. I couldn't allow myself to fall to pieces again, not with Rose lying in the maternity ward ten floors above me and a little girl waiting for me at home.

Oh my God, Libby. What would I say to her? To him?

His eyes looked at me questioningly. Waiting for me to say something.

"I have to go." I finally managed to whisper.

"Why?" there was a sudden desperation in his voice. His hands moved from my cheeks to my shoulders as if to prevent me from leaving.

"Rose – Emmet's girlfriend – is upstairs giving birth to her first child and Emmet isn't here yet. I was supposed to bring her this." I waved my Frappuchino in front of him, the liquid sloshing in the plastic cup.

"Oh," he replied. Desperation turning into disappointment.

"Wait." I said, mustering every bit of courage I could find. "You're right. We _need_ to talk. How about I'll give you my number and you call me tonight?"

I realized this was a 'make or break' kind of moment. I instinctively felt there was some part of Edward that was drawn to me as much as I was drawn to him and acted on that feeling. I had opened the door and now it was up to him to either walk through it or slam it shut forever.

"Do you have a pen? Paper?" he asked, sounding anxious. A spark of hope ignited in my chest.

I shook my head.

He fumbled in the pockets of his white coat – he must be a doctor at this hospital – and held a pen and a piece of paper in front of me.

I took it, my hands shaking wildly as I scribbled down my mobile- and home number and, after a little deliberation, my address.

"Here," I said, my voice shaking. I held out the note for him.

"When do you want me to call?" he asked, taking the note without letting go of my hand.

"I don't know. When do you get off work?" I asked. I'd probably be at the hospital with Rose for a while and I didn't know when I would be back but I'd be damned if I let this chance go by.

"My shift ends at eight," he replied. "Might be a little later if something comes up."

"You can call me then..."

"I will," he interrupted eagerly, his eyes burning into mine as if to assure me. "I_ will_," he repeated.

He released my hand and took a step away, allowing me to leave. I managed to force myself to turn away from him and scramble into one of the elevators.

I could feel his eyes on me until the elevator doors hid me from his view but I didn't dare to look up and meet them. I was too afraid of what I was going to see. Could it really be that after all these years he still felt something for me or was it just my mind playing tricks on me again?

I exited the elevator on the tenth floor and made my way back to Rosalie's room.

"I HAD TO TAKE A BLOODY CAB OVER TO THE HOSPITAL YOU DUMB PIG!" I heard Rosalie scream as I made my way down the hall.

Oh, good. Emmet must have arrived. It gave me some time to arrange my thoughts and compose myself.

Why had I been so anxious to get away from Edward? As soon as I had recognized him every fiber of my being had screamed at me to touch him, hold him, never let go again. Why had I resisted? Was it the pain that was sure to follow after meeting him? The fear of rejection?

I took a deep breath and stepped into the room where a scared Emmet was trying to calm his very angry girlfriend. He was standing a few feet away from the bed, one of his hands hovering over his crotch while Rose was yelling at him. It looked like he was afraid Rose would go for the balls. A fear that wasn't entirely unfounded.

Emmet sighed with relief as I made my way over to Rose, who was so angry her face seemed almost purple, and handed her her drink. Rose actually moaned when she took the first sip of her ice cold drink.

"Bella, I love you!" She cried, pulling me into a hug that could match one of Emmet's best bear hugs.

"Hey, Em. You made it." I said, hugging my brother.

"Yeah. Felix and I where in a meeting with some people from the bank about opening another branch of the gym in Brooklyn and I guess I forgot to keep my phone switched on." he said, scratching his head in embarrassment.

"Well, you're here in time to see your child be born and that's all that matters. Isn't it, Rose?" I said, giving Rosalie a pleading look. Sure, my brother had done something galactically stupid but I could see he was really sorry and he deserved to be forgiven.

Rosalie just huffed and looked the other way, sipping on her drink. She must have had other ideas.

At that moment I was very grateful for the fact that Emmet – unlike me – hadn't inherited my moms perceptiveness. My head was still spinning from my unexpected run in with Edward and I knew better than to rely on my acting skills. Emmet had been there during the darkest days and that had heavily influenced his opinion of Edward. If he found out that Edward was in town- that he might even be in the same building as we were right now - I was sure he was going to do something stupid like track him down and beat the crap out of him.

Rosalie however was much more attentive to my state of mind.

"Emmett, sweetie?" She asked, her voice sounding low and pleading.

"Yes?" Emmet replied, his eyes slightly glazed over.

"Could you step out of the room for a minute? I need to talk to your sister." Her eyes bored into mine.

"No," Emmet said disbelievingly. "A minute ago you were ready to bite off my head for not being here and now you are telling me to go. Are you crazy woman?"

I shook my head laughing. Sometimes I really wondered if Emmet had some hidden death wish.

Rose glared at him. "Emmet. Leave!" she huffed.

"I just got here!" Emmet yelled. "I'm not going to leave you alone again. I promised you I'd be there from start to finish and I intend to make good on my promise."

"EMMET SWAN! GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS ROOM BEFORE I KICK YOU OUT MYSELF!" Rose yelled, her face going purple again.

My poor brother almost ran out of the room. As big and strong as he may be, he knew better than to fight with his girlfriend when she was like this.

"Will you tell me what the hell is going on?" Rose asked me, as soon as we had the room to ourselves.

"I ran into Edward on my way back from Starbucks." I whispered.

"NO WAY!" Rose yelled, her eyes nearly falling out of their sockets.

Emmet, no doubt waiting impatiently in the corridor to be with Rose again stormed back into the room."What is going on?" he asked anxiously, his eyes darting between Rose and me. "Are you okay, honey?"

"I thought I told you to get the hell out of this room!" Rose huffed, her voice sounding low and dangerous..

Emmet cowered into the corner.

"I thought something was wrong." he mumbled.

"Everything is perfectly fine." Rosalie assured him. "Now bugger off while I talk to Bella."

"Tell me everything." She demanded as soon as Emmet had left again.

"There's nothing much to tell. I bumped into him when I was getting you your coffee." I stated, hoping a contraction would come to take her mind off me.

No such luck.

"What did you do?" She asked.

"At first I just stood there. I didn't know what to say or how to act. Then I got really scared and just wanted to run away and don't look back."

"Did you?"

"Kind of."

Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"I gave him my number and asked him to call me before I ran off though." I added, hoping it would vindicate me.

"How did he react?" Rose asked, trying to bite the pain of another contraction. It was amazing how much tougher she could be when she had enough distraction.

"Pretty much the same as me. He tried to talk but I didn't really give him a chance."

"What are you going to do when he calls?" She asked.

"_If_ he calls," I corrected her. "I don't know."

"Will you tell him about Libby?"

"I don't know. It's not something you just blurt out over the phone. But I guess he has a right to know"

"Oh, Bella!" Rose sighed.

"I'm so sorry Rose." I cried. "Here I am, ruining your big moment with my messed up love life."

"Are you kidding?" Rose giggled. "I haven't felt this good since this whole birth-thing started! You and your so called 'messed up love life' have really taken my mind of things. I swear, if you had a penis I'd dump Emmet and marry you!"

"Well, yeah, about Emmet..." I stammered. "Shouldn't we call him back in?"

"I guess." she sighed. She was still angry about him not picking up the phone when she needed him.

I swung the door open and told Emmet it was safe to come in. He entered the room hesitantly, almost afraid he was going to get kicked out again.

A few hours later a nurse came in to check up on Rose. I decided this was probably a good time to call Jasper and get an update on how my daughter was doing. There where certain things about Rose I really didn't need to know.

"I'm going to give Jasper a quick call, okay?" I explained before I stepped out of the room.

I walked over to the end of the corridor and dialed Jaspers number.

"Whitlock." I heard Jasper say, as he picked up after the fourth ring.

"Hey, Jasper. It's me. I was just wondering how Libby's doing."

"Oh great. She taught me how to make cupcakes – managing to get more of the ingredients on ourselves than in the batter - and now we're watching Oprah talk to some blond little movie star I don't know. By the way, do you know how to remove pasty from a carpet?"

I laughed as I imagined my daughter and Jasper - serious Civil War-fanatic Jasper - smeared in flour watching Oprah.

"Haven't a clue, sorry." I giggled. "You see, that's why I've just gone with the stripped floorboards."

"Your daughter craves a word with you." Jasper laughed.

"Libby?"

"Mommy!" Libby screamed into the telephone. I really had to teach that kid of mine not to do that. "How's aunt Rose? Is the baby there yet?"

"No, not yet sweetie. Rose is still in labor. How was kindergarten?"

"Fine."She huffed. Obviously it had been everything but fine. "Felicity's mom ran into the classroom and yelled at the teacher about something and then Miss Parker had to cry."

Of course it had been Victoria who had spoiled my Libby's day. Evil bitch.

"That's sad, honey. Did you all try to make her feel better again?"

"Yes. We all made drawings for her and then she smiled." Libby stated, her happy mood returning as she spoke.

"That's so nice, sweetie. Now, can mommy talk to uncle Jasper again?"

"Bye mommy!" Libby yelled, before handing the phone back to Jasper.

"Hey Jazz, would it be okay if Libby stayed over tonight? I have to do something tonight." I asked.

"Sure. No problem." Jasper replied and I was suddenly very grateful for Jaspers tendency to wait for the other person to be ready to share what's on their mind instead of forcing it out of them.

"Great. I'll bring some stuff over for her as soon as things are wrapped up over here."

"Okay. Wish Rose and Emmet good luck."

"Will do. Bye!"

When I got back to Rose's room the nurses where just about to take her over to the delivery room. Emmet trailed behind them, looking like a nervous wreck. I laughed, remembering he had acted pretty much the same when I had been giving birth to Libby.

"It'll be alright, Em." I tried to reassure him. "If I can do it, Rose certainly can."

"Thanks sis." He sighed, slapping my back a little too hard before he walked away to join his girlfriend in the delivery room.

--

I leaned black into the sofa and looked at the clock. It was five minutes past eight. He wasn't going to call.

"Patience, Bella," I said to myself. "He said there was a chance he was going to be late. Plus, you might want to give him some time to actually get home before he calls."

I picked up the remote to see if there was anything on that could take my mind of things, but as I flipped through the channels I realized nothing could.

Since watching my brother walk into the delivery room I had become the aunt of Charles Emmet Swan, a healthy baby boy. Emmet and Rosalie had been over the moon and I had left, soon after I had gotten to hold my little nephew, to give them some privacy.

I got over to Jasper's to drop off Libby's overnight bag and help Jazz scrub the remnants of the cupcakes out of his carpets, which was easier said than done.

He had been struck dumb with surprise when I explained who I was going to meet tonight and wished me good luck. He even promised to call me later tonight to see if I was alright. I smiled when I thought back on how concerned he had been. If it had been up to him he'd probably be here right now, ready to defend my honor if need be. I knew I had to do this alone though. It was my mess and I had to pick it up, no matter how much it would hurt me to do so.

Just then, my phone started ringing...

_**STOP THROWING THINGS AT ME! I only promised they would meet, I never said anything about them having a meaningful conversation. ;-)**_

_**I'm in pain right now. Yesterday I had my first horse riding lesson in ten years and now I can feel just about every muscle in my body. The worst thing is that I know tomorrow is going to be worse...**_

_**To celebrate me having a writing spree last weekend and writing 3 (!) chapters I have a proposition to make. If I get enough reviews for this chapter (and I'm talking about somewhere near twenty) I might be swayed to give you three chapters this week since chapters 9-11 are all kind of joined together. It would mean you will get the next chapter (my first chapter in Edwards POV) on Wednesday and chapter 11 on Friday. **_


	10. Numb

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**Wow! I asked and boy did you deliver! The response to the last chapter was overwhelming (though sometimes a bit scary). This chapter isn't my favorite in the bunch and I'd be the first one to admit that it isn't a great chapter (read the A/N at the bottom to know why) but it explains a lot and we need it to get to the good stuff.**_

_**So without further ado I give you...Edward!**_

**Numb.**

I looked at the clock. It was only ten in the morning and already I was exhausted. I made my way over to the staff room and poured yet another cup of coffee. If I was going to make it through the next ten hours of my shift I would be needing every help I could get.

Not that I minded the long hours my surgical residency demanded of me. It was a common practice and if you couldn't get used to it you had no business wanting to become a surgeon in the first place. Most of all I didn't mind the long hours because they took my mind of the fact that I had ruined the most beautiful thing in my life.

Bella.

Even thinking her name made the hole in my chest throb with pain. Even after five years the wound still felt fresh and only concentration on my work could distract me from the pain and the self loathing. So I threw myself into my study and my residency, spending most hours I didn't have to work in the library or the morgue studying procedures and practicing my skills.

Sometimes I wondered about what would have been if I had never ruined my chances with Bella. We'd probably be married now, maybe even have a child. A perfect mix of Bella and me, a tangible proof of our love.

Marriage...I don't know what had made me share my ideas of my perfect wedding with a girl I hardly knew. I had never even told anyone about the existence of the meadow. When I was still in highschool I had stumbled across it one day when I had wandered into the woods to think. I often came back to it afterwards. There was something very soothing about the place, something that had made me forget the ever present pain of the loss of my parents and the weight of the high expectations everyone – including myself – had of me.

The way Bella had looked when I had described the meadow to her had ignited a spark in my body I had never felt before and before I knew what was happening I leaned in and allowed my lips to brush against hers. The spark turned into a blazing fire when she returned my kiss. The way our lips moved together in a perfect synchronicity the sweet taste of Bella intoxicating my mind made me think I was in heaven.

It was only when we broke apart that the fear and self loathing started. I had practically forced myself on a girl I had just met, a girl – woman – that was worth a hundred of me. And that after she was still dizzy and vulnerable after falling from a flight of stairs. I wouldn't have held it against her if she would have punched me in the face and reported me to the police. Most of all I felt I had let myself down once again, I still wasn't able to tame the monster inside of me.

When I had just moved to Dartmouth I had let James drag me off to clubs night after night finding the clubbing relieved some of the stress I was under. I had always had difficulty coping with the high expectations I had set for myself. I felt I owed it to my parents to be proud of me and to prove that losing them hadn't gotten me down, I owed it to Carlisle and Esme to express my gratitude for bringing me up as one of their own by making them proud of me and I owed it to myself to make the most of my abilities. In the end the short relieve I found at the bottom of a glass or in the arms of a woman had become almost an addiction and soon I had lost myself in the tantalizing taste of night life disappointing everybody I loved but most of all myself.

I wasn't until my third year at college when a heart to heart with Esme made me see the error of my ways. She had told me she loved me as she had ever done and would ever do, but that the carelessness I showed toward myself and to others was breaking her heart. I think she knew that behind my partying ways was a longing to escape, to get away from the pain the loss of my parents had left behind.

My talk with Esme had made me see myself for the monster I truly was – and are – and motivated me to better myself. I had thrown myself into my education, proving to myself, my family and the world that I was a better person than I had been so far and never ever hurt the people I loved again. Gone were the parties, women and carelessness. I never even missed them.

Though the end of my partying ways had meant that James and I grew more and more apart we had remained friends and I had allowed him to drag me off to Florida that summer on the condition that he put us up in a nice, quiet hotel. James hadn't been to happy about that but yielded in the end, thinking the trip would bring out his former drinking buddy again.

James. Knowing what had happened to him after we graduated from medical school almost made me feel sorry for the guy. He had thought his dreams had come true when he found out he would complete his residency in plastic surgery in LA, making his Nip/Tuck fantasy schemes become reality.

Studying medicine had been more of a past time for James. His parents – like mine - were filthy rich and a trust fund was waiting for him when he graduated. He had once admitted to me that he'd only chosen for a career in surgery – and plastic surgery in particular - because it gave him the opportunity to touch women's body's all day. He had even given serious thought to my sarcastic suggestion of going into gynecology but in the end decided against it, claiming the vagina squad wasn't masculine enough for him.

Almost as soon as he had moved to LA he had met his match in some bitch gold digger who had tricked him into marriage by becoming pregnant. Two years later she had run off taking half of his trust fund and their daughter. He had been devastated, it was one of the few times I saw James emit real emotions.

Of course he hadn't learned anything from this experience, except perhaps the necessity of using protection. After he had reeled from the shock of having lost half his money he had thrown himself back into the LA party scene with even more vigor than before.

I absentmindedly checked on my patients hoping something would happen to take my mind of things. Most of the times working in a hospital in a big city like New York meant you would run from one surgery to the next but today had been uncharacteristically slow even though I had been assigned to the ER.

My thoughts drifted back to Bella and the second day we'd spend together. It had been bliss. I had been much more in control than the night before, wanting to prove that I could be a gentleman, that there was a tiny spark of hope that Bella would be able to see past my character flaws.

Talking to Bella was a humbling experience. The fact that she had had to fight for everything she had achieved made me think even more highly of her. It also made me realize how easy my life had been. Going to an Ivy league college and fitting in there had never been things I had given that much thought to. It was kind of normal when you grew up in a family such as mine. With a brilliant surgeon like Carlisle for a father and a raving recommendation from one of Chicago's top schools the colleges had been clamoring to reel me in.

For Bella it had been a struggle just to get accepted at one and an even greater struggle to sort out the finances. She had to balance her workload for school against her part time job at the library. She couldn't afford to go out and party, grades be damned because it would make her loose her scholarship or her job – both of which she needed to be able to stay at Yale. I felt even more ashamed of my first three years in college after that.

The sight of Bella asleep in my bed wearing my clothes had nearly made me lost it. I spend most of the night awake, just watching her sleep, hearing her talk about empty beeches. Sometime during the night she snuggled into my side in her sleep. I felt like I was on fire when our bodies touched. A fire that urned into a volcanic eruption when she started moaning my name. I don't know how I kept it together but somehow I did. It made me feel proud and hopeful. Perhaps the monster inside of me had been beaten.

The night that followed squashed all those hopes. After I had bartered with Angela for my visiting rights I tried to think of the perfect place to take her but I couldn't think of any better place than my room. I knew she hated the scantily clad intoxicated springbreakers as much as I did so a restaurant wouldn't be an undivided pleasure. I just hoped she wouldn't think I was trying to get into her pants by bringing her up here.

Of course that was exactly the thing I did that night. Looking back on that night and the morning that followed it was a bittersweet experience. Sweet because it had been the amazing and gratifying night of my life, bitter because it had ruined everything, I had ruined everything.

--

_I was driving to the motel Bella was staying at after spending the day with James trying to compose myself. I had to apologize to her for what we did last night and this morning. It had been to much too soon._

_Strangely enough it had been James that opened my eyes. I had been in a haze after dropping Bella off. It was like she had intoxicated my senses._

_"Way to go Cullen!" he had yelled. "So you've send her packing after all." _

_That snapped me out of my pleasant daydreaming._

_"What do you mean James 'send her packing?" I growled. "She's back at her motel spending some time with her friend. We're meeting again tonight."_

_James shook his head. "You've forgotten everything you learned about the proper way to experience Spring Break," he chastised. "You're not supposed to go all gooey over them. Spring Break is for casual sex. You know 'wham bam, thank you ma'am!" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively while hifiveing Laurent at that last remark._

_"So it's time to send the girl packing." he grinned. "Or, even better, send her to me!"_

_I pushed him of his jet ski. "If you ever talk like that about Bella again I'm going to kill you." _

_I made my way back to the shore and drove back to the hotel. James's words had made me see what Bella and I had done last night and this morning in a new light._

_Bella was an angel and what we had together was pure and strong. Had it been tainted by the early shift in our relationship from just spiritual to physical? And what would she think of me? Did she regret what we had done?_

_The more I got to think of it the more my depression started to weigh on me. I had disappointed myself yet again. I had promised myself to behave, to try and deserve this angel that had walked into my life but instead I had pounced on her like some kind of horny teen aged kid. _

_I walked up to Bella's room to find it empty. The door was closed and the curtains were shut. Nobody answered._

_Perhaps Bella and Angela were out? Or they were still by the pool? I tried to calm myself by thinking up perfectly plausible explanations for their absence but couldn't stop the rising panic._

_I went down to the pool in search for them but only found one of her roommates, the blond girl that had laughed at me like a hungry hyena the other day._

_"Do you know where Bella is?" I asked her, not bothering with the usual pleasantries._

_"She went back home," the girl stated indifferently._

_My throat went dry and I fought the urge to scream. "What do you mean?" I finally managed to croak._

_"She said something about how she couldn't stand staying here any longer and she and Angela just left. Thinks she's going back to her parents to spend the rest of her holiday there." she explained matter of factly._

_Bella had left. She's seen me for what I truly was and left. No doubt disgusted by my behavior._

_"Did she leave a message?" I whispered. _

_The girl threw me a sarcastic look. Obviously she had the same view of Spring Break romances as James._

_It was all the answer I needed to hear. Somehow I managed to scramble back to my car and make it to an empty stretch of beach. I just sat there, the true extend of my loss becoming clear to me._

--

I left Florida not long after that. I must have been a total mess since even James had been concerned for my wellbeing.

As soon as I had made it back to Dartmouth I made my way to the computer and located the phone number of Bella's parents in Forks. It wasn't a difficult job since there was only one Swan registered in Forks. I had to talk to Bella. I would understand if she never wanted to see me again, she had every right, but I had to explain to her that she meant more to me than just a one night stand and that – if she would be willing to forgive me – I would keep to any rule she would impose.

The first two times I called there was no answer. The third time a girl answered the phone. She sounded a bit annoyed when I said my name. Perhaps Bella had told her all about the unscrupulous bastard that had taken advantage of her. The girl said that Bella had a lot on her mind right now and that maybe she would call me back when things had calmed down a little.

The next few weeks were a constant torture. I had to fight the urge of calling her again almost every minute of the day that wasn't spend in class. I knew that calling Bella again would ruin everything, if she needed time and space right now then I would just have to give that to her. I would just have to wait for her to call me or try to forget her.

After a few weeks I couldn't take it any more and I called her house again. I knew she probably wouldn't be there since classes had started again, but perhaps someone could give me her number at Yale.

Her mother had answered the phone and almost as soon I had said anything she had started yelling at me, calling me a sick pervert for taking advantage of her daughter. She basically told me to get the hell away from Bella and that she'd call the cops on me if I ever had the nerve to contact her again.

When I hung up the phone I knew I had lost Bella forever. She had shot through my constellation like a meteor, chasing away the gloomy darkness of my past. But now that the flames had died down and the darkness had crept back again joined by the sad realization that all hope had left.

I had ruined everything.

I was a monster.

--

I routinely checked the bandages of some of the patients on the surgical ward before making my way to the nurses station to pass on some remarks about a patient.

I nearly jumped when someone waved a fresh cup of coffee in front of my face.

"You look like a mess!" Kate sneered sarcastically.

"I could say the same about you!" I retorted. Kate and I had both started our residencies together and had become close friends in spite of the fact that her sister Tanya was pursuing me rather relentlessly.

"What can I say. We can't all look as pretty as my boyfriend does on two hours of sleep." She giggled. She and Garrett – another resident – had started going out a few weeks ago and they were still in that stage of their relationship that was grossly annoying to the outside world.

"Speaking of said boyfriend. Where is he? He was supposed to take Mrs. Molina up to surgery but she's still here."

"Don't know," Kate shrugged, glancing at the board. "Perhaps he's still in surgery."

"But seriously Edward," she turned to me again. "Do you ever go home?"

Now it was my turn to shrug. "They kind of kick me out of the building after my shift so I don't have that much choice."

"Come on Eddie. You can't fool me, not when my sister has been stalking you for ages and your sister is calling me every other day for an update on how you are doing. I know you hardly ever go home and you don't look happy enough to be spending your time with a girl so spill..."

I rolled my eyes. "I spend most of my time in the surgical library prepping for surgeries. Oh and by the way I do go home, thank you very much. I'm just very good at dodging Tanya and Alice"

"Egghead," she huffed, playfully punching me in the shoulder.

For the last five years I'd always had at least two women fussing over me. At first it had been Alice and my mom, but since I'd moved to New York Kate had gradually taken over from Esme. Sometimes their constant scrutiny made me feel like I was some dangerous criminal under surveillance from the FBI, especially when Tanya joined in and kept on calling me at all hours to coerce me into going on a date with her. Most of the time it just annoyed the hell out of me. I was perfectly able to take care of myself. At least I made an effort. I got up every day, went to work and tried to look and act normal.

"I'm bored," I sighed. "At least you get to see the inside of an OR today. I'm stuck in the pit all day."

"Don't give me that!" she said. "You know you love the pit as well as I do."

She was right. On a good day the ER would be filled with interesting cases and I liked how working there required you to think fast and be on edge all the time.

"Not when it's slow like this though," I sighed, checking my pager to see if I had missed anything. Nothing.

"You could do me a favor and bring this over to gynecology," she offered, holding up a patients file.

"What? You'll have me running errants now?" I teased.

"Okay then. Don't!" She rolled her eyes. Kate could be a little prickly at times, especially when she didn't get enough sleep.

"Hold your fire. I'll do it," I sighed, grabbing the folder. "Who is it for anyway?"

"It's some extra stuff on the pregnant woman that was brought in yesterday. Susan Lewis up at gynecology asked for it."

I quickly delivered the file, happy to be doing something useful for a change. I was halfway out of the building when something soft bumped into me. I tried to keep my balance and prevent the person – a woman – who had bumped into me from falling. She was balancing a cup of iced coffee in her hand.

"I'm sorry!" she muttered and for a moment I thought I was dreaming. Could it really be that Bella Swan was standing next to me? Was I really that lucky?

I looked at her. Judging by the shocked look on her face she had recognized me as well. I shifted my weight to my other feet while desperately trying to come up with something g to say.

"Hi?" she asked questioningly.

I almost breathed a sigh of relief. She was here, with me and she wanted to talk to me. Of course now I had to say something back.

"Bella..." It came out almost as a wail. All of these years I had wondered what I would say to her if we ever met again and all I could do now was moan her name. She must think I'm an idiot.

She shifted around nervously and I had to fight the urge to wrap my arms around her, touch her, kiss her. I had to explain what I did. See if she could find it in her heart to forgive me.

"Bella." I finally managed to speak, my hands coming up to touch her delicate face. My body felt like it was on fire when my hand molded themselves around her perfect features.

"I have to talk to you." I pleaded, still hoping she wouldn't knee me in the groin and run away revolted.

I saw the panic in her eyes. Her pupils flashing from me to the elevators and back again.

"I have to go," she whispered, her voice sounding a little reluctant. It made me hope, like I'd never allowed myself to hope before.

"Why?" my desperation was clear in my voice. I couldn't just let her leave. Not like this. Not after all these years. I subconsciously grabbed her shoulders, blocking her escape.

"Rose – Emmet's girlfriend – is upstairs giving birth to her first child and Emmet isn't here yet. I was supposed to bring her this." she explained, waving a cup off coffee around.

I breathed another sigh of relief. She didn't want to get away from me because my presence was repugnant to her, she had to take care of her sister in law.

"Oh." Was all my mind could come up with in reply while a myriad of questions flashed through my brain.

"Wait," She said, her voice sounding a little more confident. "You're right. We need to talk. How about I'll give you my number and you call me tonight?"

I felt my heart leap in my chest. She wanted to talk. She wanted to give me her number. Wait, did that mean she didn't think I was a totally untrustworthy piece of shit after all?

"Do you have a pen? Paper?" I asked, perhaps a little more eager than I should.

She shook her head, blushing slightly.

I fumbled in my pockets for a piece of paper and pulled my pen out of my white coat. She wrote down her details and handed the piece of paper back to me.

"Here," she said. I took a quick glance at the note seeing two phone numbers and an address. I couldn't help but notice the address was in the same neighborhood as the hospital. She had been living close by for God knows how long and I had never noticed her.

"When do you want me to call?" I asked, knowing she'd probably be stuck in here for a while.

"I don't know. When do you get off work?" She asked.

"My shift ends at eight," I said. "Might be a little later if something comes up." I prayed to God nothing would come up.

"You can call me then..." she replied, sounding a little nervous, almost as if she didn't believe I was going to call her.

"I will," I tried to reassure her. There was no force from earth that could keep me from calling Bella tonight.

It almost hurt to back away from her but I knew I had to. There were patients waiting for me down in the ER and she had to get back to her brothers girlfriend. I looked at her as she made her way into the elevators, her eyes fixed on the floor.

--

"You look like you've seen a ghost!" Garrett yelled.

I had somehow made my way back to the ER and was just finishing stitching up some kid that had fallen through a glass window.

"I have," I sighed. I still couldn't believe what had just happened.

"Spill," he said.

I told the kid to wait for a nurse to wrap things up and made my way back to the admissions desk with Garrett.

"I met Bella today," I said, knowing that Garrett had probably heard all about Bella and me from Kate. I was right.

"No shit!" he yelled, alarming a few patients and nurses along the way.

I nodded.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Nothing much. She had to get back to her sister in law who was in labor but she asked me to call her tonight."

"Dude! What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Call her, I guess."

Our further conversation was cut short by the message that ambulances were bringing in the victims of a multi person vehicle crash.

The rest of my shift was spend treating the victims. A bus full of tourist had collided with a truck and a lot of the people in the bus had been hurtled about. Time flew by and before I knew Garrett was beside me, taking over from me with a knowing look on his face. A glance at the clock told me that it was already a quarter past eight.

I quickly went up to the surgical ward, grabbed my things and walked out of the hospital. I sat down on a bench outside and dialed Bella's number. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?" her voice sounded even sweeter then I remembered.

"Bella?"

"Edward!" I could hear her sigh of relief through the phone.

"I'm sorry, there was a big accident with a bus and I got caught up."

"Never mind," her voice reassured me.

"So," I started.

"Yes."

"We need to talk," I was afraid to start, afraid that she would leave again.

"Yes," she replied. "But not on the phone. Are you still at the hospital?" she asked.

"I am," I replied, without a second thought.

"Would you mind coming over to my place?" she asked. She sounded so...vulnerable.

"I wouldn't mind at all," I answered, feeing almost elated.

"I wrote the address down on the note. Do you know how to find it?"

"Yes. I'll be there in about twenty minutes." I replied, trying very hard not to sound like a kid who has just been handed the keys to a candy store.

"Okay. I'll see you then."

"Bye Bella."

The minute I hung up the phone doubts started to form in my mind.

I loved Bella, I still did. But what if she didn't love me? What if she had met somebody else, married, had a kid? Would I still fight for her?

How did you act around a women you loved so desperately it hurt but whom you hadn't seen in over five years?

_**I really struggled with this chapter. It took me the best part of a week to write and I must have deleted everything at least three times. When I edited it today I ended up almost rewriting all of it again. I still don't think it's quite right, but at least it's acceptable.**_

_**I know you all probably hate me right now for not including the actual conversation in this chapter, but that's to come on Friday (and it's one of my favorite chapters so far). **_

_**I'm so tired right now. I've been teaching classes for eight ours straight only to hurry back home, eat and edit, so if I overlooked some stupid mistakes I'm very sorry (the person who usually checks over my chapters was unavailable today).**_

_**Please review and make me happy! **_

_**ducks back into hiding place to avoid angry mob **_


	11. Love me or hate me

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and let me know they liked it. It still isn't my favorite, but I guess it's not as bad as I thought.**_

_**This chapter is one of my favorites (it was my favorite until I started to write chapter 18 earlier this week). It is one of the reasons I started to write this story and I hope you'll like it as much as I do.**_

_**I know I haven't done this before, but while writing to this chapter I was listening to one particular song that kind of ended up influencing the flow of it. The song is 'I Surrender' by Saybia. There is a link to the song on my author's page.**_

**Love me or hate me.**

I paced nervously through the living room. What on earth had possessed me to invite Edward into my home? What would I say to him? How would I say it? How would he react?

The answer to the first two questions was clear. You don't just tell someone he has a kid over the phone. Well, perhaps there are those who do that, but not me. Almost as soon as I had seen him I had decided I would have to tell him all about Libby sooner rather than later. Would he be angry? Would he try to take her away from me? Could he forgive me? Was there a chance – however small – of a happily ever after?

I didn't allow myself to linger on that last thought. Of course there was no chance of that. He had made it very clear five yeas ago that he didn't want me so why would he want me now? Just because we had a kid together? It was even foolish to think that he would still be available. He was rich, kind and good looking, I was sure some lucky woman had snatched him up.

In an effort to calm myself I turned on some music but not even the usually calming tones of Debussy could bring me any relief.

I nearly hit the ceiling when I heard the doorbell.

He was here.

God help me.

Somehow I managed to scramble to the door and open it, not bothering to look through the peephole. I knew who it was.

"Hi," I said. Apparently I was still unable to construct a proper sentence when I was around him.

He completely took me of guard by closing the gap between us and enveloping me in in his arms. I melted into his body, the blissful familiarity of his muscular chest and arms combined with his heavenly scent wiping away five years of pain. For the first time in ages I felt whole again. The Edward sized hole in my chest had been filled.

Of course there was still that nagging little voice in my head that told me that in half an hour he would probably have stormed out of my apartment never to come back, but I silenced it. I wasn't going to pass up on my last chance to touch him, feel him close to me. If I was going to hell, I might as well do it properly.

Finally the realization that we were still standing in the doorway, providing an excellent piece of gossip for my neighbors dawned on me and I pulled him into the house. Shutting the door on the outside world.

I pulled him into my living room where he looked around him curiously, no doubt taking in the endless array of bookcases and reproductions of famous paintings that filled my living room. I wished I had spend some of the time waiting for him usefully and cleaned up a little. The whole room was littered with stuff from work and Libby's toys.

I saw his face fall as he zeroed in on the corner of the living room that was designated as Libby's play area.

"You have a child," he spoke softly, his voice resembling the last words of a dying man.

"Yes?" His sudden pain confused me. What did this mean?

"You moved on," he stated in a broken voice.

I now knew exactly what he meant. He thought I had met someone else and moved on with that person.

"No," my answer came quickly, almost like a reflex.

He looked up at me in surprise. His eyes searching for an explanation in my face but finding nothing.

_Here we go. _I thought. _Time to tell the truth, the whole truth and noting but the truth._

"I never moved on," my voice sounded thick and I knew the tears weren't far away. "I couldn't.

When you never called me I tried to understand it, forget you and move on with my life. Hell, I even tried to hate you. But I couldn't. It felt so… wrong."

"What? Then, how..." He asked.

He looked around the room again, puzzled, trying to find an explanation.

"I had a child...five years ago," I whispered.

I tried to form sentences, to explain everything to him in a way that made sense but couldn't come up with anything that would explain the last five years.

"She...Libby...is your daughter."

I watched the words register on his face, waiting for the anger and the yelling to start. They didn't. He just kept staring at me in disbelieve.

"I have a daughter?" he finally asked.

I nodded, biting my lip. Unable to do anything else.

"I have a daughter," he said again and I could feel the realization of it sink in. He stumbled to the couch and sat down, his head in his hands.

"It is okay if you are angry with me, or if you don't want anything to do with me. I ask for nothing. I know you don't want me in that way," I rambled, suddenly retrieving my ability to speak.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, confusion still dominating his face.

"I'm just saying that it's okay if you hate me. I feel horrible for keeping this from you. I should have told you five years ago, I know, but it was just that when you never called me I realized that I had had other expectations than you had. I didn't want to bother you…"

"I did call you," he interrupted me.

"What?"

"I did call you," he repeated. "After you left I went back to Dartmouth straight away and found your parents phone number on the web. I called a few times but nobody picked up. When finally someone answered the phone they told me you were busy and that you would call me back in due time. You never did though."

I felt as though the air had been kicked out of my lungs. All of these years I had thought he never called me. That he didn't care for me only to find out that he did.

"I called again a few weeks later," he continued. "I knew you probably wanted nothing more to do with me after what I did to you, but I couldn't give up so easily. I had to try to explain. Your mother answered, she seemed rather upset with me and I knew I had lost you forever."

"Wait a minute," I said, holding up my hand. "You thought I was angry about something?"

What on earth would I have had to be angry about?

"I took advantage of you by taking you to my bed that night. I shouldn't have. If only you could know how much I regret it," he said, looking straight into my eyes.

"Are you saying that you regret sleeping with me?" I asked. The corners of my eyes started to prickle with tears.

"NO!" he yelled.

He was beside me in less than a second. He pulled me into his arms and cradled me to his chest.

"That night meant everything to me. It was the best night of my life. It's just that it was too soon, too fast. When you left the next day I thought you hated me, that you thought I had taken advantage of you. It broke my heart."

"Didn't you get my note?" I stammered through my sobs.

"You left a note?" The tone of his voice made it clear he'd never received it.

"When I got back to the motel Emmet – my brother – had called," I sobbed. "My father was in hospital. He'd had a heart attack and I had to get home as soon as possible. I left a note explaining everything with Lauren."

Suddenly realization dawned on me.

Lauren.

That evil bitch from hell Lauren Mallory.

She was going to die.

Edward must have felt my body going rigid because he pulled back to see what was wrong.

"Lauren," I hissed.

The anger in his eyes told me that he understood.

"So you left me a note," he said after a while. He sounded relieved.

"Yes. I asked you to call me as soon as you got it. I kept my phone on me every minute of the day for two weeks, but you never called. In the end I figured I must have gotten the wrong idea. That I had made what we had together into a big deal when you saw it as just a summer thing." I explained through my tears, needing to be as open as possible. This might be my only chance.

He hugged me closer to his body. "Bella, I love you. I've always loved you and I will always love you. Never doubt that."

"What?" I sobbed, unable to utter the questions that had construed in my mind.

"I thought you had left me. That you thought I'd taken advantage of you by making love to you that night and that you left because you were revolted by me. When you didn't call me back I took that as evidence of the fact that I had screwed everything up. That I was a monster."

"I never knew you called," I whispered.

We remained silent for a few minutes. The weight of everything that had been said and everything that hadn't been said pressing down on us.

"So, we have a child," he asked, his eyes scorching into mine.

"We do," I replied, trying to interpret the emotions in his eyes. "Her name is Libby, Darcy Elizabeth Swan."

There was a flash of pain and his arms tightened their hold on me.

"What's wrong?" I asked anxiously. Did he hate the name I had chosen?

He closed his eyes and sighed. "My mothers name was Elizabeth," he explained.

"Does it still hurt to remember her?"

"Not as much as before, but the pain's still there. You could not have chosen a better name for our daughter," he whispered.

Now it was time for me to comfort him. I leaned back in his arms and brought my hands up to his cheeks. He leaned into my touch, letting out a deep sigh.

"Do you want to see a picture of her?" I asked. "She's staying with Jasper, a friend and colleague of mine, but I can show you the next best thing."

Before he could say anything I had gotten up and grabbed a picture of Libby and me – taken by Emmett in the park a few weeks ago – from one of the bookcases and gave it to him.

He stared at the picture for a long time, unable to speak. I sat on the couch waiting for him to say something. I didn't want to rush him or interrupt him, though I was on pins and needles. For now it would have to be enough to have him sitting in my living room knowing that he loved me.

"She's beautiful," he muttered.

I walked over to where he was sitting on the floor and knelt behind him, looking over his shoulder.

"She has your eyes," I smiled.

"And your hair and nose," he added looking up at me, his eyes burning into mine conveying his feelings better than any word could ever do.

"Could I see her?" he asked cautiously.

"Of course you can! I kept her from you long enough," I said looking away, suddenly feeling ashamed.

I should have told him about Libby a long time ago, no matter how I had felt or how I had thought he felt. I should have told him. It was wrong to keep this from him. Angela had been right.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he lifted my head so that I was forced to look at him.

"Don't you hate me for keeping Libby's existence a secret?" I asked, averting my eyes.

"Bella look at me," he demanded.

I looked up. His face didn't show any anger or resentment, just determination and...love.

"I could never hate you. Yes, it hurts to know that I had a child all these years and I never knew. But most of that pain comes from the fact that I feel like I abandoned her – abandoned you. I should have tried harder to contact you. I shouldn't have let you go through all of this on your own." His face showed the same self loathing it had that afternoon on the boat.

I realized that he was blaming himself for all that had happened.

"Edward! None of this is your fault! You never knew that I was pregnant. I was the one who kept that information from you. It was MY fault. I shouldn't have been scared of rejection and called you as soon as I found out."

"But still, you had to go through this all alone. I feel like I should have been there."

"Let's just say that we are both equally to blame for this," I sighed. My blame was greater than his, but I knew I would never get him to accept that.

He still looked away, his shoulders hunched. His pain nearly broke my heart. I had to do something to show him how much I loved him – how I ached for him - so I leaned in and kissed him.

His lips responded to mine with a hunger and a burning passion that amazed me. His arms reached around me, crushing me even tighter to his chest. My legs straddling his lap.

When we had to break for air he moved to my jaw, kissing a trail down my neck to my collarbone.

"Bella," he whispered against my skin. "My Bella."

The tears that rolled down my cheeks were of pure joy.

He loved me as I loved him. The words kept on singing through my head, slowly erasing the lingering pain.

At some point we ended up on the floor. His head on my chest, right over my heart. My hands playing with a few strands of his hair.

"Do you have to work tomorrow?" I asked after a while. Tomorrow was a Saturday but with him working at the hospital he probably didn't keep office hours.

He sighed. "I have the day shift. I should probably go."

"Oh, no! I didn't mean it like that!" I replied quickly, not wanting him to leave. "It's just that I have to pick Libby up from Jasper's tomorrow and I wondered if you could come with me."

He moved up so that his face was opposite mine. "I would like nothing better, but unfortunately I have an early shift. I would love to meet our daughter though. That is if you are okay with that. I don't want to rush you – or her – into anything."

I smiled. "You're not rushing me. It's perfectly normal for you to want to meet her. It will be ... difficult for me and we'd have to think about what we're going to say to her, but all those problems can be dealt with."

He kissed my forehead and sighed in contentment.

"I could come over again after my shift. Or would that be too late?"

"If you get off at eight like today it's no problem." I replied. "I can keep her up that late since it's Saturday."

Suddenly another thought hit me.

"I was going to take Libby to meet her new cousin tomorrow. We could drop by your work while we're there?"

"I would like that," he replied and I could hear the smile in his eyes. "Would you mind if I came by tomorrow evening anyway?"

Was he kidding me? I wouldn't mind if he brought all his stuff and stayed forever.

"I wouldn't mind at all. Do you want me to make you dinner?" I asked.

"I wouldn't want to put you out..." he started.

"I have to cook for Libby and me anyway so it wouldn't be any extra effort to make a little more." I said, stealing a kiss.

"What are you going to tell her?" he asked, suddenly very serious.

"I don't know," I replied truthfully. "Libby's very mature for her age but I don't think that springing all this on her would be good."

"I know," he replied. "What if you told her for now that I'm a close friend of yours, like this Jasper person she's staying at. We can always tell her the truth later on."

"That would be a good plan," I sighed, hoping my ever observant daughter wouldn't figure out the truth on her own.

"Good," he replied, snaking his hand around my waist and pulling me close again, our bodies melting into each other as if they'd never spend a minute apart.

"You could sleep on the sofa if you'd like..." I asked, suddenly nervous. The thought of him walking out the door tonight made my chest constrict in pain, but I hoped he didn't read more into this than it meant. I wasn't ready for that yet.

"I don't want to wake you in the morning. I have to be at the hospital pretty early."

"I don't want you to leave," I whispered.

"I don't want to leave," he sighed.

"Then stay," I knew I probably sounded like a whiny child bit it didn't matter.

"I'd have to call my sister. She'll be wondering where I am," he replied, kissing my nose.

"Go ahead. I have to call Jasper anyway," I smiled.

He looked at me curiously.

"I promised him I'd call to let him know how it went. I had to tell him I was going to meet you when I asked him to take care of Libby tonight and he was worried about me."

I made a quick call to Jasper to let him know I was okay and promise him to tell more tomorrow when I came to pick up Libby and set up the sofa bed for Edward after that. The thought that he would be sleeping so close to me was both comforting and terrifying at the same time.

After that we came to the very awkward moment of having to say goodnight. I think both of us ached for an 'official' reunion but we both knew it was too soon for that. We may have had a child together but the last time we rushed into a physical relationship it had driven us apart for five years and I for one would rather die than let that happen again.

We stood at opposite ends of the room, fidgeting like a pair of teenagers.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight," he finally muttered.

"Yes," I sighed, hugging the door frame.

"I'll try not to wake you in the morning," he said.

"No, please. I'd rather you did. Just to say goodbye..." I blushed.

"I you're sure..." he replied.

He walked over to my side of the room, lifted my chin and paced a tender kiss on my lips.

"Goodnight my love," he whispered.

My lips crashed back onto his, the closeness of his body making me loose what control I had. His arms wrapped around me, lifting me up and I could feel my legs wrapping themselves around his waist.

He was every bit as exited as I was, I could feel the evidence of that pressing against my heated centre through our clothes. My head was screaming at me to stop but my body wouldn't listen.

In the end he was the sensible one.

"We have to stop," he panted, letting go of me.

"I know," I muttered, sliding back onto my feet.

"God Bella, you'll be the death of me some day." he sighed, brushing his nose against mine before taking a few steps backwards.

I smiled, before turning my back on him an practically running to my bedroom. I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight, but I sure as hell knew what I was going to dream about...

_**For those of you who think Bella and Edward were very quick to forgive and forget: they aren't. They have cleared up a few things but there will still be a few difficult discussions about what happened, how they both dealt with it and how they will start to pick up the pieces. **_

_**So, what do you think? Please let me know.**_

_**On a different note. I found out yesterday that trying to write fanfiction while watching girlie movies isn't the best idea. Before you know all sorts of ideas start spinning into your head and you find yourself making an outline for 'Carlisles Angels'. Must. Stop. The. Madness. (Emmet would make a mean Bossley though)**_

_**In the next chapter Edward will meet his daughter (probably up on Monday)**_


	12. Meeting Libby

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**Hugs and kisses to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, especially to those who didn't get a reply due to Fanfiction not sending out any e-mails. **_

_**Okay, so this will probably be the last time you get a chapter in Edwards POV. As I said before I find it very difficult to write for some reason and it just doesn't come out 'right'. I will stick to Bella's POV from now on, maybe slipping in a bit of Edward in some chapters. That being said I felt like this chapter needed to be told by Edward. **_

**Meeting Libby.**

I didn't think I slept a single minute that night. The thought that Bella was right in the next room to me was almost too much. I felt like I was going to explode.

I didn't know what came over me when I hugged her earlier tonight. I just had to touch her one last time before she would tell me she hated me. When she hugged me back, melting her body against mine I could almost feel my heart leaping in my chest. For the second time that day I felt a tiny spark of hope.

That hope had left me again when I glanced around the room and noticed the toys. Of course Bella had moved on. It had been so foolish of me to think that she would have waited for me and that we would be together in the end. Of course she had found happiness.

Then she told me the child was ours.

I knew most men would probably feel angry on finding out they had a child for five years. Either that or they would have had a heart attack. I could only feel shame. Shame of spending five years sulking in a corner instead of doing my best to try and contact Bella, Shame of having put her through all this on her own and most of all shame for having abandoned my child. I knew it was strange to think I had neglected my daughter since I never even knew of her existence, but still I couldn't help but feel I had somehow disregarded my responsibilities.

The feelings that coursed through me when I first looked at a picture of Libby can't be described in the English language. She was so beautiful. Her eyes were green like mine but overall there was so much of Bella in her it made my heart leap in my chest.

The picture was of the two of them together in the park. Bella was kneeling in front of Libby, explaining something to her judging by the way she held her hands. Libby looked back at her, biting her lip in concentration, her eyebrows slightly frowned. Her green eyes blazed back at me from the photo, her curly chocolate hair in disarray and her eyebrows frowned in concentration. I felt my heart swell at the thought that she was my child, mine and Bella's.

How could you love someone so much even before you've even met her?

I couldn't wait to meet her. I had been disappointed to hear that she was staying with somebody else that night but I understood why Bella didn't want her to be there tonight. She had no way of knowing how I was going to react and she probably didn't want to expose the child to anything disturbing.

Finally I gave up trying to sleep and started to wander through the house. I paused by the bookcases in the living room first, the light from the street allowing me to read the titles. Bella obviously had a fondness for the classics. The shelves contained most of the works of the well known English writers but I was surprised to detect some German, French and Spanish works. She even had a copy of Dante's _Divine Comedy_ in Italian.

I wandered through the house, looking at the reproductions of famous paintings that covered every inch of the walls that wasn't covered in bookshelves. Every fiber of the house had Bella's personality stamped on it, or at least the Bella I remembered from those few days we had spent together.

The kitchen was small but practical. Every surface was littered with cooking utensils. I remembered Bella telling me about her love of cooking. Even the kitchen had it's own book shelve. It was filled with cookery books ranging from basic dishes to Thai and even Moroccan food.

I wandered on into the central hallway. I paused in front of the door Bella had disappeared behind, wanting nothing more to open it and crawl into bed beside her. I wanted to make love to her more than anything, to explain with my body what words could never tell. That I loved her more than anything. That I would never let her go again.

The thought of being that close to her again also scared the shit out of me. Even though she had told me she never hated me for what I did to her, I was still afraid I would do something to chase her away from me again. I would have to prove to her – as I would have to prove to myself - that I was a better man. That I wasn't a monster. I could only pray that this time I could muster the self control to prove myself to her.

She had thought that I had seen what happened between us as just a spring fling and even though her explanation relieved me – at least that was something I could easily set right – I also felt that there was something else, something that went much deeper, that had made her give up on us so easily. I knew she wasn't ready to share what that was with me, as I had kept some of my inner turmoil from her. The time would come when we would trust what we had enough to share even our darkest secrets.

I quickly turned away from Bella's door, noticing another room whose pink lettering announced it was Libby's. Without thinking I opened the door and slumped into a rocking chair that occupied the space next to the window.

I felt a little like a criminal sneaking into Libby's bedroom at night. I hoped Bella wouldn't think I was some kind of scary stalker or pervert if she found out. I looked around me and took in the plethora of pink objects faintly illuminated by the streetlights. It really stood out in comparison to the rest of the Somehow this room reminded me of Alice and I wondered if Libby looked like her.

Alice had been suspicious when I called her earlier with the message I wasn't coming home. It was not like I hadn't stayed away for a night before, but knowing my sister she'd already sensed that something was going on. She was really quick to pick up on things.

When we were kids she had been absolutely convinced that she could see into the future. Her dream had been to set up a stall at the fair with me. She thought I was a mind reader because I had a way of predicting what people were thinking by looking at their faces. We would set up a stall together and travel the world with Alice predicting the future of our customers and me telling her how they reacted to it.

That was of course before her love of clothes took over and she became a personal shopper to the rich and famous. She still hadn't given up on the idea of being a mind reader and I had to admit she had a kind of creepy way of knowing things before they happened.

I just sat in Libby's room for a while, trying to get a feel for the little girl that was part of me. I still couldn't believe I was a father, that Bella and I had created a life. I'd always wanted to be a father someday but I didn't expect that day to come so soon. It didn't make me panic though, it just felt...good.

I would have been lying if I said I didn't feel hurt by the fact that I would have to make Libby think I was just a friend of Bella's, instead of her father, but I could understand why Bella didn't want to tell Libby yet. Thing were still too new and too uncertain between us and she didn't want Libby to end up being hurt when things didn't work out.

I decided to make Bella see that I was one hundred percent committed to the two of them and that I couldn't see a future without Bella and the little girl from the picture whom I already loved. I could see all of us living in a big house together, with a garden for Libby to play in and plenty of bedrooms so that we could give her a brother or sister – or both.

I must have drifted off to sleep for a while because the next thing I knew the alarm clock on my phone buzzed in my pants pocket, telling me it was time to get up.

I sneaked into the bathroom as silently as I could, not wanting to wake Bella yet. I splashed some water into my face and used some of the mouthwash that sat on the basin. I would shower when I got into work.

I made myself a cup of coffee and slowly sipped it, wanting to give Bella a few more minutes of sleep. I felt bad about having to wake her so early on a Saturday morning but she had asked me and I couldn't deny her anything.

When I couldn't stall any longer I made my way to Bella's bedroom. How I wished this could be our bedroom someday. I had nearly lost control last night when we kissed but I didn't want to mess things up a second time. I couldn't live with myself if I lost her again.

She was still sound asleep, muttering something I couldn't hear. I remembered her tendency to talk in her sleep.

"Edward," she sighed, rolling onto her back and for a moment I thought she'd woken up. Then I saw that her eyes were still closed and her breathing was still slow and steady. Was she dreaming about me?

I leaned over her sleeping form and softly kissed her forehead.

"Morning love," I whispered.

She stirred, slowly waking up. When she opened her eyes and saw me a smile illuminated her face and I felt my heart soar at the thought that she was happy to see me.

"Good morning," she whispered back.

I thought back about the morning in Florida when she had been afraid of morning breath. It seemed so long ago now. She had been so adorable, covering her mouth because she thought I'd be put off by it. Silly Bella! How did she think I'd ever be deterred by anything she did.

Wanting to prove my point I leaned in to kiss her again, on the lips this time. When our lips touched she let out a satisfied little sigh which almost made me loose control. If she only knew the effect she had on me.

I traced her lips with my tongue, asking permission for it to enter her mouth. She happily obliged welcoming me with a soft moan. Our tongues caressed one another much in the same way as our hands were and I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. All too soon it was time to pull away.

"I have to go," I groaned, wanting nothing more than to stay like this forever.

"Don't," she pleaded. I could feel my resolve waning.

"I have to, or they'll make me stay longer," I knew I sounded like a teenager not wanting to go to school but it was all I could manage. I would happily face the wrath of my attendings if it meant spending a few extra moments in bed with Bella, but I knew they would have me make it up and I didn't want to endanger out plans for the evening.

"Okay," she sighed, biting her lip.

I tried very hard not to think of the fact that Bella was beneath me, pouting, our bodies only separated by our clothes and her blankets. Thinking about that only led to imagining other things and if I allowed my mind to wander that path I would never make it out of the house.

"When do you plan on coming to the hospital?" I asked, after I had calmed down a little. The thought that I would see her again somewhere during the day was the only thing that could make me walk out the door right now.

"I was thinking somewhere late in the afternoon. That gives me time to pick up Libby from Jasper's and finish some stuff I need to do for work," she replied.

I nodded. It made sense, but the thought that I would have to wait for at least eight hours before I could see her again – and meet my daughter – made me uneasy. We'd spend so much time apart and deep down I was terrified something would happen that would drive us apart again.

"I left a note with my phone numbers and my pager number on the table in the living room. Will you page me when you are at the hospital?" I asked, reluctantly pulling myself from her arms.

"Won't it be difficult to leave?" she asked. "I don't want you to get in any trouble."

"I'm allowed a few breaks when I'm working," I lied. I was allowed a few breaks but those were mostly spend catching up on paperwork while stuffing a sandwich down my throat. They were too short to have a proper first meeting with your unknown child in. However I loved the fact that Bella at least cared enough about me to not want to get me into trouble.

"I'm just going to have to make sure to stay out of the operating rooms after three," I added.

It went against the grain saying that. Being a surgeon the operating rooms had become almost my natural habitat. Deep down you always knew that it was wrong to be happy about the fact that someone was hurting enough to let them cut you open and mess with their insides but the fact that I could help these people and try to make their life better again gave me an immense sense of satisfaction. It was the only time when I had been able to push the memory of past events successfully out of my head, fully concentrating on the task in hand.

I knew I would probably have to go though one of the most boring shifts of my entire residency but Bella and Libby were more than worth it.

--

I felt almost giddy when I walked into the locker room. I must have looked like an idiot, dressed in yesterday's clothes and grinning like an idiot.

"What's up with you?" Kate frowned.

I saw Garrett flash an amused grin. He had only needed the expression on my face to put two and two together. I was actually amazed he didn't tell Kate about my meeting with Bella yet.

"Nothing," I shrugged. I wasn't in the mood for explaining right now. I just wanted to get rounds over with so I could continue fantasizing about Bella again.

She huffed, obviously not believing me and strutted out of the locker room. I knew she would get back to me on this before our shift ended.

Garrett padded me on the shoulder as he walked after her. "I take it your evening went well?" he smirked.

I quickly put on the clean shirt I kept in my locker and joined them for rounds. Rounds were tedious but necessary. Most of the time I would be at the hospital hours before round started, already selecting the most interesting cases and trying to snatch them from my fellow residents.

I tried to pay attention and not let my mind wander back to feeling Bella's tiny body beneath me this morning or pressed up against me last night. I noticed the sidelong glances Kate kept giving me and made a mental note to keep out of her way as much as possible.

A few of the other residents actually gasped when I volunteered for the smaller cases today. Normally I would go for the difficult surgeries and I'd usually get them. Spending most of my spare time in the library had gotten me ahead of the rest and the attendings had seemed to pick up on that. However today doing scud work and signing up for a humble appendicitis in the morning would mean I'd be able to sneak off during the afternoon to see Bella and Libby.

Work dragged on at a snails pace. What made matters worse was that I constantly had to dodge Kate and Garrett. They finally cornered me in the break room in a joined effort.

"So," Kate asked, trapping me in a corner between herself and the coffeemaker. "Are you ever going to tell us what the hell is going on?"

"Why don't you ask lover boy over there?" I replied, pointing at Garrett who was leaning over her shoulder.

"What? You knew?" Kate huffed, not taking her eyes off me.

"He told me he met that girl he's been talking about yesterday," Garrett shrugged.

"And you didn't feel the need to tell me?" Kate shrieked. "Argh! You can be so dense someday!"

I knew she was biting back the urge to elbow him in the groin, but she probably thought I would use the commotion to flee.

"Sorry," Garrett muttered, looking like a kid who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"You're so not getting any tonight," Kate huffed before returning her attention to me. "SPILL," she demanded. There was no escaping her.

"Well...I called her last night and kind of went over to her place. We talked and I ended up sleeping on her couch." I offered.

She would have to torture me to get me to admit I had a daughter. It wasn't that I was ashamed of Libby – far from it – but I knew Kate wasn't the best at keeping secrets. With Kate being one of Alice's best friends in New York there was a risk she was going to accidentally let it slip and I wanted to tell my sister that I had a daughter in person.

Kate squinted her eyes at me. It was her way of silently telling me she knew I was keeping something from her.

"Okay," I sighed. "She's going to visit her sister in law at the hospital today and promised to meet me."

"So. What happened?"

I knew she was asking about five years ago and I quickly explained to her what I had learned last night.

"It was all a misunderstanding," I concluded, the words still making a sense of relief wash over me.

Kate's eyes grew to twice their size. "What are you going to do?" she asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I still love her and I know she at least has some feelings for me. All I know is that I won't let anything come between us this time."

Kate hugged me. "Just be careful Edward," she sighed.

--

It was a little over three when I heard my pager go off. I recognized the number as Bella's and called her. I asked her to meet me in the garden, feeling it was a better place to meet your child for the first time than the sterile surroundings of a hospital wing.

I asked Garrett to cover for me – not that there was much to do – and quickly made my way downstairs to the hospital gardens.

I walked onto the courtyard, my eye falling on the two figures on a bench immediately. Libby was saying something to Bella, her tiny arms gesticulating wildly to make her point. Bella was gazing at her lovingly, an amused smile on her perfect plump lips. The memory of feeling those lips against mine made my skin tingle.

Bella must have heard me approaching because she looked up, her smile becoming shy. I realized that she must be just as nervous about my meeting with Libby as I was.

I stood there for a few moments, contemplating what to do. Do I walk up and kiss Bella? I wanted to – hell, I ached to do so – but I didn't know what she had told Libby about us.

"Edward," Bella smiled walking towards me. She'd obviously noticed my indecision. She winked at me and took my hand, gently squeezing it. All nervousness had disappeared from her face.

"Libby sweetie? I want you to meet my friend Edward," She said calmly, pulling me towards the bench where our daughter sat sipping from a bottle of juice.

The little girl jumped up from the bench and extended her hand. "Darcy Elizabeth Swan," she said determinedly as I took her tiny little hand in mine. The she flashed a dazzling grin and dropped a small curtsy. "Pleased to meet you."

I felt my heart soar and looked up to see Bella grinning at the scene in front of her.

I almost forgot to greet her back, I was so wrapped up in the little creature in front of me. A pinted look from Libby told me that I had forgotten my manners.

I cleared my throat. "Edward Cullen, to serve you ma'am," I greeted back, bowing slightly.

Libby's grin widened. She turned and sat back on the bench, patting the space next to her.

I sat down next to her, trying to think of something to say.

"I brought you a coffee," Bella spoke softly. "I don't know if I've seen too many episodes of ER and Grey's Anatomy but I figured you could use it."

"You're an angel," I sighed. How did she always know just the right thing to do? "That's at least one thing those scriptwriters got right!"

"I didn't know what you'd like so I got a White Chocolate Mocha and a plain Cappuccino. I can get you something else if you don't like either of them?" She asked.

"Cappuccino will be wonderful!" I replied. Normally I was more an espresso kind of person but after more than half of your shift you started not caring about the type of coffee in front of you. The caffeine-intake was all that mattered.

Bella opened the lid on her coffee, inhaling the sweet smells before taking a sip and letting out a little delighted moan. It made me feel like ravishing her on the spot and I really had to remind myself that our daughter was sitting right next to us.

We sat there drinking in silence for a little while when I felt a gentle prod in my side. I looked down into Libby's big green eyes.

"Are you a doctor?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," I replied.

"Did you deliver Rose's baby?"

Bella leaned into me. "She thinks that doctors deliver babies like the mailman delivers a letter," she whispered.

"Unfortunately no," I replied. "Another doctor did that."

"Then what do you do?" she continued.

It was the question I had subconsciously been dreading. How do you explain to a five year old that you cut people open for a living without making her have nightmares?

Bella saved the day. "Edward makes really sick people better," she replied.

How didn't I think of that?

"Really sick people?" Libby asked.

"You know, like mommy when she cut her hand last year," Bella explained. "Do you remember how I told you that I doctor had closed the cut so that I was going to be alright? That's what Edward does all day."

"Oh," she seemed satisfied with that answer.

She looked back at me, flashing another one of her dazzling grins. "That's really cool!"

I felt like I could burst with pride at that moment. Libby thought my work was cool!.

"It is, isn't it!" I grinned back.

We talked for a little while, Libby asking all sorts of things about being a doctor. Now that I knew she wasn't scared or grossed out about what I did for a living I found it easier to talk about it.

After a while Libby got a little restless and asked Bella if she could go explore the garden a little. Bella was fine with that as long as she kept within sight. When Libby skipped off I stole a quick kiss, knowing Bella would probably be uncomfortable with any major PDA in frond of our kid.

She blushed slightly and laced her fingers through mine.

"How were you able to meet us?" she asked, closely observing my expression. "As I said I don't know much about working in a hospital, but I have a feeling you wouldn't usually be able to escape for such a long time."

I sighed, she wasn't going to be happy about this. I could tell.

"I volunteered to take the scud today so I'd be able to sneak off whenever you paged me." I admitted.

Her reaction kind of surprised me. She leaned in and kiss me. The kiss was quick but very intense.

"Don't do that again," she warned me after she pulled back. "It makes me feel like I'm holding you back."

I thought I could see Libby peaking at us from behind a statue in the garden. I wondered what she would be thinking. Would she be able to guess anything? I didn't let my mind wander to that long though. I had to set Bella straight on where she stood in my world.

I took her face in my hands. "You'll never hold me back. Finding you again and then finding out that I was a father were the most important moments in my life. I'd do anything to keep the two of you in my life even if it means I'd never see the inside of an OR again."

She sighed and smiled a bittersweet smile. "That's kind of my point, Edward. You told me you had wanted to be a surgeon ever since you were little. If you feel like you have to compromise on getting the best possible training you can get it makes me feel like I'm standing in your way. That I'm bad for you"

I sighed. I suspected that somehow she thought she wasn't good enough for me. I'd suspected as much back in Florida. How on earth could I make her see that I was the one who was unworthy?

She looked at her watch. "Crap! I'd better get going or Emmet's going to think something is wrong."

"We will talk about this, Bella," I said. "And don't ever for a moment think you're bad for me. I'm happier than I have been for the last five years and it's all because of Libby and you."

She sighed. It would probably take months - if not years – to get through to her, but it was worth it.

She stood up, forgetting that her nearly empty cup of coffee was sitting on the edges of her coat. The cup tilted and some of the liquid spilled over my lab coat.

"Oh God, Edward. I'm sorry," she apologized, her cheeks flashing a fierce red. She looked more adorable than ever.

"Don't worry about it. They get dirty all the time," I laughed.

Just about then Libby came skipping over to where we stood. She took in the scene in front of her – her moms mortified expression, the toppled cup, the coffee dripping onto the bench and my stained lab coat – and sighed.

"Mommy's a bit clumsy," Libby said matter of factly, her face taking on an almost apologetic expression. "That's why she never wants to wear a skirt."

Now it was time for me to nearly choke on my coffee, especially when I saw Bella's face turn fire engine red. I tried to keep myself from laughing - not wanting to upset Bella even further - but found myself unable to stop myself. I could just imagine why Bella would get into all kinds of embarrassing situations when she was wearing a skirt.

"Come Libby. Let's go see uncle Emmet and the new baby," Bella huffed, glaring daggers at me.

Libby patted Bella's leg, motioning for her to lean down, and whispered something in her ear.

"You should ask Edward. I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Bella answered with radiant smile.

Libby stalked over to where I was standing, her shyness making her look even more like Bella.

"Edward?" she asked tentatively. "Can I give you a hug?"

"You don't have to ask!" I replied, scooping the little gril up and enveloping her in my arms. I felt my heart swell at the thought that she must like me or she wouldn't let me hug her like that. "I'll see you tonight sweetie." I said softly, kissing the top of her head before lowering her back onto the floor.

I saw Bella stealthy brush away a tear. The look on her face showed her happiness and relief about how this short meeting had gone. Feelings I wholeheartedly shared.

I gave her a soft kiss on her cheek. "Until tonight, my love," I whispered, quickly brushing my nose along her jawbone, inhaling as much of her sweet smell as I could. I needed it to get me through the remainder of my shift.

_**I know a lot of you wanted Libby to find out about Edward being her father in this chapter. I hope you aren't too disappointed. I actually discussed this with my mom -who had first hand experience at being a single mom – and she could see both arguments. I decided to stick with this storyline because of other things to come.**_

_**Libby will find out eventually but Bella wants to protect her for now. After all Bella and Edward have only been together for a grand total of four days. Bella's feelings about Edward may be very strong, but she has no way of knowing if what they have together will work out and she wants to protect Libby from getting hurt. **_

_**Also"I'm a teacher, not a doctor so the only source of all things medical are the magic that is google and my addictions to House MD, Grey's Anatomy and ER. I hope I did okay on that.**_

_**On another note: I loved reading that so many of you would like me to develop Carlisle's Angels. I think I will make it into a story as soon as I'm finished with this one. I'm afraid that if I start working on that right away this story will end up the way my Rosalie fanfic did (I'm struggling with terrible writers block on that one)and I love this story too much to put in in danger. I'm also still trying to figure out a plot for Carlisle's Angels so if you have suggestions for that, please pm me.**_

_**Oh, and I'm kind of working on a one shot inspired by a very very gorgeous waiter I ran into this weekend at a party. **_

_**I'll stop now. Please review and make me happy!**_


	13. The Spanish Inquisition

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**The Spanish Inquisition. **

I had fallen back asleep after Edward left, my dream picking up where we left off. Saying it was a pleasant dream was an understatement. The Edward I had dreamed about for all these years had nothing on Edward in real life. Being this close to him again, his smell still lingering on my sheets, send my imagination into overdrive.

Over the last five years he'd grown into a heartbreakingly handsome man though some things never changed. His eyes were still a brilliant green and managed to make my breath falter and moisture starting to pool in between my legs just by staring at me from across the room.

When I finally woke up it was already past ten o clock which meant I had to hurry to get everything done that needed doing. I stumbled to the shower, got dressed and had breakfast in record time before cleaning the house and doing some of my revision work for school.

When I was done I noticed it was already nearing two o clock – the time I was supposed to pick up Libby to take her to the hospital. I quickly grabbed my stuff and made my way over to Jaspers apartment.

"So, how did it go?" Jasper asked upon opening the door.

"Are you going to let me get in and greet my kid before you start with the third degree?" I asked in fake indignation.

"Nope," he replied. "I'm holding Libby hostage for information."

"You're as bad as Rosalie," I huffed.

"I'll take that as a compliment!" he chuckled.

"Well okay then," I said rolling my eyes, "so Edward and I talked last night and he ended up staying over."

Jasper raised his brows in amazement.

"Oh, for heavens sake! Get your mind out of the gutter!" I scolded him. "I'm not that easy! He slept on the couch."

Jasper smiled apologetically whist subjecting his carpet to a close study. Men!

"Anyways...We found out the whole thinking the other hated you thing was just a misunderstanding and I think we're going to try and start over." I knew my explanation probably didn't make much sense to Jasper but it was all I could manage at that point.

"So, you still love each other?" he asked.

"Yeah," I couldn't stop a goofy grin from appearing on my face. "I think I might have a shot at a happily ever after after all."

Jasper sighed. "I think you look happier than I've ever seen you. Be careful though, Bella," he warned.

I nodded. "I think we're both scared of loosing each other again. I intend on taking it slow this time, not jumping into anything that might drive us apart again."

He smiled. "You do owe me an explanation of everything that happened between the two of you someday."

"I guess I do," I beamed back, happy to be let off the hook relatively easy.

He stepped aside after that, allowing me into his apartment.

Libby was in the living room tracing a picture from one of Jaspers books onto a piece of paper. Libby always thought Jaspers book were far more interesting than mine. His history books had pictures of beautiful women in pretty dresses and fierce looking fighters in them while mine just held boring words.

"Hi mommy!" Libby skipped over to me as soon as she saw me and jumped up to kiss me.

"Hi baby! Watcha doing?" I asked.

"I'm making a drawing for Rose," she said towing me over to the table. The picture she was tracing was that of a beautiful maiden in a white dress from the Middle Ages knighting a man in a shining armor.

"It's pretty," I said.

"It reminded me of Rose and Emmet," she stated.

Come to think of it, it did look a little like them. I even noticed that Libby had made the knight look more like Emmet by giving him brown curls in stead of the sleek blond hair in the picture. Libby had done a really good job on tracing the picture.

"Well, if it were Emmett he probably wouldn't be looking so relaxed if Rose was holding a sword that close to his head," Jasper snorted, looking over our shoulders.

We all laughed. He was right though. Rose was dangerous enough without being armed, I wouldn't like to run into her if she was waving around sharp objects.

"Libs, sweetie, are you ready to go see your new cousin?" I asked.

Libby nodded feverishly. She'd been wanting to see the baby ever since she found out Rose was pregnant.

Luckily Rose's pregnancy hadn't caused her to ask difficult questions. Libby being Libby she's made her own conception of childbirth with the words she'd overheard the grownups use. In the end she decided having a baby was something just like ordering a package. You had to wait for a while for it to be ready and send to you. When it was ready the doctor came to hand it over like some kind of Fed-ex delivery guy. I was very curious to find out how she fit in Rose's expanding belly but I didn't dare ask, afraid it would trigger a whole bunch of awkward questions.

"Are you going straight to the hospital?" Jasper asked.

I nodded. "It's nearly three already and I promised Rose I'd be there around four. If I'm going to see Edward before that we'd better get going."

"Well. Good luck," he smiled, handing over Libby's bag. "And congratulate Rose and Emmett for me!"

"Thanks! And thanks again for taking care of Libby." I said, grabbing Libby by the hand and taking off in the direction of the subway.

"Don't mention it, it was my pleasure," he yelled after us.

My heart was raging in my chest. Would Edward like Libby? How would she react? Would she like him? What if she didn't? What was I even going to say to her?

I decided to address that last question first.

"Libby? Would you mind if we have something to drink before we go up to Rose, Emmett and the baby?" I asked, trying to find the right words.

She seemed a little disappointed. "Why?"

"I think Rose and the baby are still resting, but most of all I want you to meet a friend of mine who works at the hospital." I said.

"You made a new friend?" Libby asked.

"Edward – my friend – is kind of an old friend. I saw him again yesterday when I was in the hospital with aunt Rose." I replied.

"Miss Parker says it's always nice to make new friends," Libby mused.

"So I take it that's a yes to meeting Edward?" I asked. I could just about hug miss Parker right now.

"Yes," Libby replied tentatively. "As long as we can still see little Charlie after that."

"Of course sweetie!" I breathed a sigh of relief.

--

Seeing my little girl – our little girl - in the arms of her father brought tears in to my eyes. I'd dreamed of this moment for years and now it was finally here. It was better though than I could ever have imagined.

I also thought about the moments in her life he had missed. Her first smile, her first words, her first step, the first time she went to school...I wished there was a way to relive those moments.

After Edward had disappeared into the main building again I took Libby over to the building where Rose and the baby were staying. Libby was bouncing in place at the prospect of meeting her new cousin, asking me a thousand questions about what the baby would be like.

"Do you think I can hold him?" she asked.

"I don't know, sweetie," I replied. "You'd have to ask Emmett and Rose."

She dragged me through the halls, me stumbling behind her. I stopped her right before Rose's room.

"Now Libby listen to me. The baby is probably asleep and we don't want to wake him. So try to be as quiet as you can." I told her, knowing my daughter all too well.

Libby softly knocked on the door and tiptoed into the room, quiet as a mouse. I followed after her, trying not to laugh.

Rose sat up in bed, still looking a little pale and pained. She gazed lovingly at Emmett who was in a chair next to her, holding the baby. They looked so sweet together.

I nearly cried at the sight of my goofy big brother holding his baby and looking all grown up and serious.

Libby had tripped over to them and looked on from a respectable distance.

"Come meet your little cousin Charlie, sweetie," Emmet said, motioning for her to come closer.

"He's so sweet!" Libby whispered. "Can I touch him?"

"If you're careful," Rose replied, smiling sweetly. I had never seen her this...serene before.

Emmet walked over to the sofa in the corner of the room, Libby sitting next to him softly stroking Charlie's cheek.

I leaned over them, taking a good look at the baby. Like every infant he looked tiny and fragile. He had Emmet's curly dark hair, but Rose's delicate face. I was sure he was going to break a few hearts when he grew up.

After a few moment's I walked back to the bed and sat in the chair Emmet had just left.

"How are you, Rose?"I asked, not wanting to make her feel left out.

"They want to keep me here for another day," she huffed. I knew she had been hoping to leave the hospital today since everything had gone smoothly with the delivery.

"Why? Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine,"she growled, obviously not wanting to talk about it. I knew it was very hard for Rose to admit to weaknesses. After she had been attacked all those years ago she had carefully constructed the image of the infallible ice maiden. Not being able to run a marathon the day after she had given birth – however silly that idea was - was a serious blow to that image.

Poor Emmett! The next few weeks were going to be tough...

She returned her attention to me, scrutinizing my face.

"Emmett, dear?" Rose cooed.

"Yes, angel?" Emmet beamed back.

"Why don't you take Libby to see the nursery?" Rose asked in a sugary sweet voice. I cringed inwardly, knowing that as soon as Emmett and Libby left I would be subjected to an interrogation that would make the Spanish Inquisition look like a picnic in the park.

"Maybe later," Emmet answered absentmindedly, still making funny faces at little Charlie with Libby.

"NOW, Emmet!" Rose ordered.

"But I don't want to," Emmet whined. I really hoped he'd stand his ground this time.

"Libby dear?" Rose cooed, changing tactics.

"Yes aunt Rose?" she replied.

"Don't you want to see all the newborn babies? I promise it's the cutest thing you'll ever see!" Rose pouted.

Libby's eyes grew huge. "Can we go see them uncle Emmet? Please?"

Two women pouting at him was too much for Emmet to resist and after placing Charlie back in his crib he reluctantly left the room, Libby skipping next to him.

Rose didn't even take the trouble of asking or ordering me to tell her what happened. She just crossed her arms and glared at me until I relented. All traces of serenity had gone.

"Okay, so you know he promised to call me last night..." I started. Rose urging me on with her hands. "So he called and asked if he could come over..."

"He was at your house last night?" Rose interrupted me.

"Yep. Libby stayed over at Jaspers so I figured it was safe to invite him." I replied.

"Anyways..." I continued, telling Rose the rest of the story.

"So...," she mused, grinning like the cat that ate the canary. "He stayed over."

I sighed with frustration. "Why does everyone keep thinking I slept with him? Do I look like a two bit whore?"

"Face it Bella, you don't exactly have the best track record in that department, even if you've been living like a nun for the last few years," Rose teased.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just call me a whore," I huffed.

"Whatever," Rose shrugged, chuckling at my anger. "So, when is he going to meet Libby?"

"He already did," I grinned, thinking back on how great it went.

"No shit!" Rose yelled. "Why did I miss all of that?"

"You were kind of busy giving birth and all," I said, rolling my eyes. "He works here as a doctor and managed to sneak off and have coffee with us before we got here."

"Well, how did it go?" she asked.

"It went great actually! Libby had him wrapped around her little finger from the get go and he's really cute with her. You should see them together."

"Hmmmm," Rose was thinking about something. It made me slightly nervous. I sure as hell hoped she wasn't planning on sneaking off to seek out Edward. I was only slightly less nervous about Rose meeting Edward than I was about Emmett meeting Edward and I sure as hell wanted to be there for both of those meetings. If only to keep Rose away from any sharp objects. Rose had never made a secret of the fact that she was going to cut of Edwards balls if she ever met him, and I kind of had different plans for those...

"You're not going to do something to mess this up, are you Rose?" I asked, my fear apparent in my voice.

"Of course not, silly," she tried to reassure me. She didn't succeed entirely. "I would like to meet him though. Can't you ask him to come over?"

"He's supposed to be working, Rose," I yelled. "I'm feeling guilty enough as it is for making him sneak off to meet Libby and me!"

"But I want to see him!" Rose whined. "you don't know how boring it is to lay around in a hospital bed all day. I'm in serious need of some diversion."

"You're forgetting about Emmett," I warned, shuddering at the thought of my brother meeting Edward. I wasn't ready for that to happen yet.

"I am not!," she laughed. "Now is a great moment actually. He gets all soft and gooey when he's holding the baby. He'll be far to distracted to kill Edward."

I laughed with her. Obviously becoming a mother hadn't made Rose go soft.

Right about then Libby and Emmet came back. Libby still full of the cuteness she'd just witnessed. We left not long after that, Charlie needed feeding and I wanted to give Rose some privacy.

--

At about twenty minutes past eight the bell rang.

"Libby? Can you get it?" I asked. I was just about elbow deep in a lasagna and I didn't want the entire house to be covered in tomato sauce.

"Edward!" Libby yelled.

"Miss Libby," I heard Edwards velvety voice say.

I had to smile, remembering how he'd reminded me of a younger Mr. Darcy from the moment I'd met him.

I could hear his footsteps coming up behind me.

"Something smells good," he whispered in my ear, his arms wrapping around my waist.

_'He's right,'_ I thought as I inhaled his sweet scent. _'Oh, he probably meant the food, right?'_

"I hope it tastes good too," I replied.

"Can I lick the spoon?" he asked as I put the dish in the oven.

Lick the spoon? Wasn't that more something Libby would ask?

"What are you, five years old?" I asked, mockingly.

"Nope. I just want a little taste," he replied. I picked up a suggestive undertone in his voice.

"Here then," I said, holding the spoon out to him. I took a deep breath as his fingers moved over mine as he took the spoon. This was going to be difficult...

Watching Edward lick the spoon was almost more than I could handle. The sensual movements of his tongue as he polished the tomato sauce off the wooden spoon made my legs go weak and my breathing become labored. I grabbed hold of the counter in order to keep myself standing upright.

He must have realized the effect he was having on me because his grin widened and he exaggerated the movements of his tongue just a little even though there wasn't that much food left on the spoon.

Damn that man and his porno tongue!

"Get out of here before I do something I really shouldn't do in front of Libby," I warned.

He winked at me and left the kitchen, leaving me in a puddle on the floor..

While the lasagna was in the oven I made the salad and did some of the washing up all the while trying to compose myself. I hoped Libby wouldn't notice my still slightly flustered state when I got out of the kitchen.

I found Libby and Edward on the couch. Edward telling Libby a rather disgusting story about how he had to pull an entire set of cutlery out of someones stomach. Libby watched on with amused horror, sometimes interrupting him to ask questions.

"I hope you're still hungry after all that," I laughed. "Dinner's ready."

"She wanted me to tell her about the sick people I'd helped today," he smiled apologetically.

I put the food on the table, taking care not to burn my hands. I didn't want to tempt faith even though I had a doctor under my roof.

"It smells lovely," Edward said, pulling out a chair for me next to him.

As we talked and ate during dinner Edward would frequently find some reason to touch me or hold my hand under the table. It still made electrical sparks course through my veins, just as it did the first time we touched.

When we finished eating Edward demanded I leave the dishes to him and Libby. Of course I complained - he'd just finished a twelve hour shift at the hospital- but he would have none of it. In the end Edward just picked me up, walked out of the kitchen and threw me on the couch, ordering me to stay put.

I just slouched on the couch listening to Libby and Edwards doing the dishes while singing along to 'Take me out' by Franz Ferdinand. Boy they could really give Mike Newton a run for his money in the singing department. Not only were they terribly off key, their timing left something to be desired as well.

It was still the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard, because it was the sound of my daughter bonding with her father.

"It's time for bed , baby!" I said when they were finished.

Libby's face fell and she grabbed hold of Edwards leg. "I don't wanna, mommy! Please let me stay up a little longer?" she pouted.

"I already let you stay up longer Libby. You know that!" I replied, trying to be as firm as I could.

"Mommy!" Libby whined.

"I thought you'd want to go to sleep so you can be awake when we go pick up Rose and the baby from the hospital tomorrow. Or don't you want to play with Charlie tomorrow?" I replied, taking a page from Rose's book.

Libby pouted, looking up at Edward for support.

Edward picked her up and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Fine!" she grunted, stomping over to her bedroom.

"What was all that about?" I asked Edward, who was grinning like an idiot.

"I just asked her nicely," he replied. His face looked too innocent though.

"You're lying," I stated.

He just grinned back at me.

"I'll get the truth out of you someway..." I threatened, wiggling my eyebrows.

"And how, might I ask, were you intending to do that?" he asked, his sultry voice almost making me forget the five year old that was waiting for me.

"I have my methods," I said, winking at him.

"You really shouldn't have said that," he replied, his insufferable crooked grin making me week in the knees again.

I fled to my daughters bedroom, helping her change into her nightgown and get ready for the night. When she was done she jumped into bed and handed me the book we'd been reading from every night before she went to bed. It was Mathilda by Roald Dahl, one of my favorite children's books. Libby loved it too, though she was a little bit afraid of Miss Trunchbull. When we'd read the part where the headmistress slung Amanda Trip around by her pigtails she'd almost wanted to cut off her hair.

Libby fell asleep before I'd read two pages. The events of the day had really worn her out. I tucked her in, kissed her and turned to find Edward leaning against the door frame.

"So now you're spying on me too?" I asked with mock annoyance, walking passed him.

"How could I not be?" he replied. I could feel his gaze burning into my back. "Your presence calls to me like a sirens song."

"Stop it! You're making me nervous!" I laughed, plopping back onto the couch.

"Tell me miss Swan," he started in a husky voice. "Is that all I'm making you feel?"

He leaned in, his lips hovering inches away from mine. I could feel his breath on my face, making me lightheaded.

"Damn you!" I muttered, closing the gap. How did he always manage to reduce me to a giggly little teenage girl?

He flipped us over – his lips never leaving mine - so that I was now straddling his lap. I had to break the kiss when my lungs started burning. I leaned my head against his chest, trying to catch my breath while his hands traces patterns on my back.

"Do you have to work tomorrow?" I asked when my breathing had returned to normal.

He nodded. "I'm on call tomorrow night. So I won't be able to see you all day," he said, disappointment seeping into his voice.

"I have work on Monday, but you're more than welcome to drop by after your shift." I offered.

"I'll miss you," he sighed, tightening his grip on me. "You and Libby. She'll be in bed when I get of work"

Now it was my turn to sigh. "I wish I could keep her up, but she has school in the morning and I don't want her to fall behind because of a lack of sleep."

"Neither do I, love. We'll still have the weekends." he said soothingly.

I felt bad for depriving him of his daughter but I couldn't see a way around it. Maybe in time we could work something out but for now I was too tired to think of something.

"About those weekends..." he said after a while. "I was wondering...Would you go on a proper date with me next weekend?" he asked shyly.

I fought back the urge to smile. He really was adorable.

"Like a second first date?" I asked.

"Yeah, something like that," he replied. "Would you?"

"Of course I would," I said. "provided I can get someone to babysit Libby."

"I have next Saturday off, so we could go out on Friday night and spend Saturday doing something with Libby," he mused."Maybe take her to the zoo."

"Are you a mind reader?" I asked. "Libby loves the zoo! Especially after she saw _Madagascar_. She'll be acting like King Julian for days!"

"Okay. The zoo it is!" Edward said.

"Just one thing before you start planning our second first date," I said.

"What?" he asked, his face showing a slight panic. Did he really think I was going to bail on him or something?

"I don't like people spending money on me. So please don't do anything too...extravagant?" I pleaded.

"Fine," he smiled, kissing the tip of my nose.

"Love ya!" I replied, giving him a chaste kiss.

He sighed looking at his watch. "I have to go back to my place. It's getting late and I have a rough day tomorrow."

I noticed how he didn't say 'home' but 'my place'. I wondered if there was some deeper meaning to that.

"You can stay..." I started. The thought of Edward leaving me still pained me even now that I had all of his numbers and his home address. I was still terrified something would take him away from me again.

"Believe me...I want to," he muttered in between kisses.

"Then stay," I knew I sounded like a whiny four year old but I could care less. If I had to beg for Edward I would.

"Bella!" he groaned, leaning his head against mine whilst panting for breath. "We agreed to take this slow and even though you seem to think I have some kind of divine sense of self control I'm still just a man. I don't think I can stand being with you but not _being_ with you for another night," he admitted.

"Stay," I repeated in between kisses. I really didn't feel like taking this slow any more.

"Bella!" he sighed, lowering his head onto my shoulder. "You'll be the death of me someday."

"And all I want to do is make you happy," I said in mock disappointment, making my voice sound as innocent as possible.

Edwards lips crashed back onto mine while he pulled my body even closer. I could feel he was getting just as worked up as I was. The evidence of that was currently pressing against my heated center through our clothes. I ground my hips into his, our clothes creating a pleasant kind of friction. I felt his hands on my hips, guiding my movements. His lips never left mine for a minute.

The tension in my abdomen started to rise and I could feel myself getting closer to my climax. The moans and groans Edward was letting out signaling that he was close too.

"God, Bella!" he panted in between kisses, one of his hands gripped my but while his other came up to cup my breast trough the fabric of my sweater.

"Do you know what you're doing to me?" his voice sounded low and constricted. It was the most sexy sound I had ever heard in my life.

He removed his lips from mine and I let out a disappointed whimper at the loss of contact. My disappointment soon faded as I felt him nibble on the skin at the base of my neck, before softly biting the skin. The pleasurable pain sent shivers down my spine and was enough to send me flying, screaming his name as I felt a happiness course through me I hadn't felt in five years.

"I love you," he groaned as he followed me over the edge.

"I love you too," I panted as I crashed onto his chest, riding out my waves of pleasure. He just held on to me, not uttering a word but kissing every part of my body he could reach while trying to catch his breath.

"I have to go," he stated, when he'd regained his composure.

I nodded, still unable to do anything else. Now that I'd worked out some of my pent up frustration I actually felt guilty. I had nearly made us chuck every promise we'd made to each other out of the window, not to mention I had done that while my five year old daughter was sleeping under the same roof. What if she came into the room a few moments ago? What must Edward be thinking of me. I was a bad mother and a bad girlfriend.

"I love you," he whispered in my ear, trailing his nose over my jawline. "I'll call you tomorrow."

With that he disentangled himself from my grasp, stood up and left, leaving me to a cold shower and another sleepless night.

_**Thanks you to everyone who liked the last chapter. I'm happy so many of you agreed with my choice to not have Edward and Bella tell Libby just yet. **_

_**I'm sleepy and sick but strangely elated since I won a game of arm wrestling with one of my pupils (one of the boys in my sophomore-class). I swear, nothing makes my day quite like the chance to crush a teenage boys ego!**_

_**Since I'm sick and won't be able to go out much I'll probably get more writing done over the weekend than I thought I would, so next week might be another three chapter week (which means a certain pixie will make her first appearance).**_

_**Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. **_


	14. The second first date

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**A.N. A picture of Bella's dress for the date can be found on my profile...**_

**The Second first date.**

We had settled into some kind of routine quite easily. Every night after his shift – except for the nights he was on call and had to stay at the hospital – Edward would come over to my place and spend some hours with me before he went back to his own flat.

After that first night he never stayed the night and I never asked him to. We had agreed to take it slow and him staying over would inevitably lead to a breach of that agreement. I knew myself to good to doubt that. The way my body reacted around him took some time to get used to. Apart from that week in Florida I had never experienced that before. It was like we were being pulled towards each other, like I was gravitating in orbit around him.

At school things flowed in a steady pace. It seemed like Aro had taken my concerns about his daughter to heart and talked to the little witch, since she was being much more reasonable than she had been before. I wasn't fooling myself though. She might be lying low for now, it would only be silence before the storm.

With his sister temporarily sidelined Alec had taken over and unfortunately he was better at getting under my skin. When Jane didn't like the assignment she was given – which was every time I gave her an assignment – she'd just scream bloody murder and storm out. Alec, on the other hand became a very devoted stalker, grabbing every possible opportunity to corner me and try to talk me into giving him an extension. I had to be on my toes every hour of the day.

When Edward came over on Tuesday I was a nervous wreck. I'd had an extra key for my apartment made and I wanted him to have it. I really wanted him to feel at home here and be able to just come in without having to ring the bell. Still, I knew it was a big step – though to me it seemed like the most logical thing in the world – and I was afraid it would make him run for the hills.

"Whats wrong, love?" Edward asked, sensing my discomfort.

We were sitting at the dinner table, him eating, me looking over a bunch of essays on _Wuthering Heights._ Edward had made a habit of eating over at my place, claiming it was the first time since he had left home that he'd gotten this many home cooked meals in a row, even though he'd only stayed for dinner three times.

"Nothing," I replied.

"Come on, Bella. You know you're a bad liar, I know you're a bad liar, hell, even Libby knows you're a bad liar!" he replied, taking another bite of his marinated steak.

Okay, then let's have it.

"Would you run for the hills if I keyed you?" I asked, nerved tightening my throat.

"Why would I do that?" he replied, his mouth still full of food.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I think my brother would have. Something about men being scared of commitment."

He smiled a little. "Making any form of commitment to you and Libby doesn't scare me in the least," he replied, taking my hand and looking me in the eyes.

"Good," I managed to squeak. Having him look at me like that still made me incoherent.

"Did you find a babysitter for Libby?" he asked after a while.

I didn't want to admit it but I felt a little bad about shipping Libby off that often. It wasn't something I usually did. I guess I just had to get used to it since I couldn't take her with me on our dates. At least Libby didn't seem to mind.

"I did," I nodded. "Zafrina actually offered to watch her Friday night.

"Zafrina?"

"She's one of my colleagues. She may look a little odd but she's one of the nicest people I've ever met. She absolutely adores Libby. She's coming over to watch her here if you don't mind. Her place isn't exactly the most child friendly spot in the world."

I'd been so glad Zafrina offered to babysit Libby. I didn't like asking Jasper so soon again as he'd taken care of Libby last week and Emmett and Rose weren't an option. I'm sure Emmett would love to have Libby over, but with their new baby I knew they'd probably have their hands full.

"That's perfect," Edward smiled. "It means we don't have to pick her up first before we go to the Zoo the next morning."

--

"So where are we going Friday night?" I asked on Wednesday night.

"Do you really think I'm going to tell you?" he asked, his eyebrows scrunched up in mock amazement.

I shrugged. "I just thought it would be nice to know what to wear. I mean, I don't want to look like a total idiot."

I knew Edward had probably taken my warning about how I didn't like it when people spend money on me to heart, but I didn't know how he interpreted 'nothing too extravagant'. It would be just like me to turn up at Cipriani's in a classic t-shirt and jeans combo.

"Just wear something pretty," he chuckled.

"Explain pretty," I sighed.

If he wasn't going to play nice, then I sure as hell wasn't either. "I mean, I have a lot of lingerie that would be called 'pretty' , but I'm not sure it would be very...appropriate to just wear that for our date," I purred.

I heard his breathing become a little labored while he tried desperately to keep his face composed. No doubt he was picturing me in said lingerie._ 'Good,_' I thought, 'a_t least now you know how I feel every time I look at you.'_

"I would love to see it," he finally squeaked. "But I agree it would probably be inappropriate for our date. Perhaps underneath your clothes?"

"And what makes you think you'll get to see what's underneath my clothes, Edward?" I asked, trailing one of my bare feet up his leg. He yelped as my foot made contact with his already hardened member.

"I have my ways?" it sounded like a question. I rubbed my foot softly against his crotch.

"Oh God, Bella! Don't stop!" he groaned, letting his head fall back. He looked so sexy at that moment I nearly came just from watching him.

"You have your ways?" I retorted.

It took a while for him to answer.

"You'll find out on Friday," he replied, looking smug. _'Damn that man and his ability to form coherent sentences at all occasions!'_

"I thought we had agreed not to 'consummate' our new found love until the third date?" I asked innocently, using his own words against him. He had been adamant about enforcing the three date rule, claiming we needed some time to get to know each other. Of course that was easy for him to say since he was the one who got to decide when these dates would take place...

"There are a lot of things you can do that don't constitute as having sex..." he said, his voice sounding hoarser by the second as I kept brushing my foot over his now very prominent erection. "Just ask Bill Clinton," he grinned, letting his head fall back again.

He was enjoying being in control a little too much for my taste. I had a feeling that his reluctance to take things further physically was part of a bigger problem. That somehow he was afraid being intimate would damage our relationship. But I also had the distinct feeling that he liked to see me flustered and was enjoying the effect he had on me. Well...two can play that game.

I withdrew my foot from his crotch and stood up to bring his dirty plate to the kitchen to wash it.

"Bella!" he groaned.

"What, Edward?" I asked innocently.

He looked back at me, slightly confused at first, sad when he realized I wasn't going to finish what I started.

"Nothing," he sighed, hanging his head in defeat.

--

I had thought a little about what I was going to wear to our date. I had a few dresses hanging in the back of my closet and I figured I would probably let Libby pick the one she liked best for me but of course Rose would have none of that.

I had hoped with the new baby and everything she'd be to busy to boss over me and my wardrobe selection but when the doorbell rang on Thursday evening and the mailman delivered me three boxes with designer labels on it I knew my attempt to slip under the radar had failed.

I didn't even look at what was in the boxes before picking up the phone to call Rose.

"Hi Bella," she squealed. Yup. Rosalie Hale squealed.

"Hey Rose," I replied, a little shocked.

"Are you calling me to express your gratitude for the pretty gifts I got you?" Rose asked, her voice still sounding perky.

It was then that I realized her perkiness was all an act to get me to go accept the gifts.

"Gifts, huh?" I grumbled.

"Friends can give friends gifts can't they?" Rose cooed. "It was just my way of saying thank you for being there for me when I was lying in hospital ALONE." Emmet must have been within hearing range and Rose still hadn't forgiven him.

"Friends don't usually give friends gifts worth hundreds of dollars, Rose!" I yelled. "That wouldn't even have been appropriate if I had delivered the damn baby myself!"

Rose had always been one to express affection through buying people expensive gifts. Of course that was easy for her to do. Being the only child of a top investment banker she'd never had to worry about money. Her modeling days and her current job at the fashion magazine had only added to her riches.

"They were just some things we had lying around in the closet at work. I didn't pay a dime for them," Rose sighed annoyed. "If I hadn't gotten Stephane to send them to you they'd probably have ended up in the closet of someone less deserving."

I sighed. This was Rose's way of dragging me kicking and screaming into the world of fashion. She knew I didn't give a rats ass about designer labels and wasn't going to spend that much money on clothes, so she just have her very gay assistant send me the leftovers from the photo shoots for the fashion magazine she worked at. I could attempt to send the clothes back, but no doubt Rose would find out and the clothes would mysteriously turn up in my closet again someday. It had happened before.

"Okay," I sighed. "So what's in the boxes?"

"You didn't even look at them?" she shrieked. "Really Bella!"

I sighed.

"Okay, so I got you this really gorgeous Burberry Prorsum rose printed dress that is going to make your body look fab and since you always bitch at me for making you dress too lightly I let Stephane throw in a matching Cardigan as well. The second box holds a pair of shoes and a clutch to go with them," she said.

"What? You got me a complete new wardrobe?" I huffed.

"For God's sake Bella. Just open the damn box!" Ros yelled.

I opened the boxes to find the items she described. I had to hand it to Rose, the clothes were very beautiful. The dress was a dark blue and black long sleeved dress with a tiered skirt that would probably fit snuggly while still allowing me to walk. The matching cardigan was nice, simple and warm. She had even remembered my preference for ballet flats, though I could see by the Christian Louboutin label that these examples probably cost more than the rest of my shoes thrown together.

"I told you you'd like it," Rose said.

"Thanks, Rose,"I sighed. "Now what's in the third box?" I asked, eying the smaller black box suspiciously.

"Oh, Nothing," Rose said innocently. "Just something you might consider trying on after your date."

My fingers trembled as I opened the box. I feared the worst.

"You call this a night dress?" I yelled, holding op the see through barely there black lace slip.

"I never said I got you a night dress," Rose replied innocently.

"You never said you got me this porn stars wet dream either!" I huffed.

"Just try it someday Bella," Rose laughed. "You might find men find these sort of things stimulating...very stimulating."

"Yeah, Yeah," I sighed. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Remember? Three date rule."

"Poor Bella," Rosalie laughed.

We hung up soon after that. Rose needed to feed the baby and I had some things for school to do. With Edward being on call my night would be spend in solitude. I missed him already though the thought of that made me a little angry. I'd been able to live without a man for five years and now Edward comes back into my life and has me reduced to a clingy little mess in less than a week? It sure didn't do wonders for my self esteem.

--

Zafrina had come over early to give me some time to get ready for my date. She and Libby were going to have a creative evening and Zafrina had brought a big box filled with all kinds of paint and other stuff to use. They were currently huddled together over the table to plan their next masterpiece.

"Do you need anything?" I asked, trying to buy some more time.

"Nope," Zafrina and Libby responded in unison.

"Just go get dressed," Zafrina smiled, waving me away. "Edward will be here in less than half an hour."

I shrugged, walking towards my bedroom. I'd never been one to need a lot of time to get ready. I never understood how other women – Rose for instance – would need a whole hour or more to ready themselves for a night on the town.

I put on the violet set of lace boy shorts and bra I had bought earlier this week. I had felt strange about going into Victoria's Secret. I had been there before, but I hardly ever bought anything. I didn't really think I needed expensive sexy underwear since no one but myself would be seeing it.

Of course I couldn't enter Victoria's Secret without triggering at least one embarrassing situation so I wasn't really surprised when two of my pupils recognized me when I was waiting in line at the cash register. They ogled the lingerie I was buying, obviously shocked to find that one of their teachers seemed to be having a sex life. The shock seemed to have worn off the next day when one of the girls asked me if I was wearing yesterdays purchases.

I quickly finished dressing and put on some light make-up. Rose had advised me to go for smoky eyes, saying it would go fantastic with my dress and my fair skin but I didn't feel confident enough about my abilities to not end up looking like a raccoon.

"How do I look?" I asked, stalking back into the living room.

Zafrina and Libby both looked up from their paintings, Zafrina wolf whistling at me as she took in my appearance.

"You look very nice, mommy!" Libby stated, giving me an odd look. It made me suspect she was on to something.

"Thanks, sweetie!" I replied. "What are you making?"

"Look!" she called, motioning for me to come over to the table.

I looked at the painting she'd been making, taking care not to get paint on my new dress.

"Zafrina is teaching me to make a self-portrait!" she giggled, pointing at the little mirror in front of her. "Isn't that cool?"

"It is!" I replied, once again impressed by my daughters drawing skills. Okay, she was no Rembrandt yet and the painting was clearly that of a child, but the portrait actually resembled her and that was more than I would manage even if you would have given me days to make it.

I let out a startled yelp as I heard the doorbell. Edward had arrived.

As I walked to the door I felt more nervous than I had on our first first date. What was it about him that made my legs go weak, my eyesight turn blurry and my brain unable to form coherent thoughts?

I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves and my stomach before opening the door. I was sure Edward wasn't going to be impressed with my dating skills if I threw up all over him.

"You look beautiful," he said, kissing me softly on the cheek as I opened the door.

'You don't look half bad yourself either!" I replied, taking in the sight in front of me.

Edwards wore a pair of black slacks and an emerald button up shirt that matched his eyes perfectly. His dark gray coat complimented the look making it seem as though he'd just wandered out of a Hugo Boss runway show.

"Edward!" Libby yelled, running over to him and flinging herself in his arms.

I heard them whispering together as I said goodbye to Zafrina.

"You did good there, Bella," Zafrina whispered as she stole another glance at Edward.

"Back off, paint girl! He's mine," I joked.

She just rolled her eyes at me and shoved me in the direction of Edward and Libby. I knew Edward wasn't really her type. Too clean. She mostly went for the scruffy looking, make-up wearing emo guys that looked like they'd just wandered out of a famine.

"Come on, my little prodigy," she said to Libby. "Let's finish our new masterwork!"

I hugged and kissed Libby goodnight before taking Edwards hand and letting him pull me out of the apartment and onto the street.

"Your carriage awaits, madam," he smiled, waving over to a shiny silver Volvo that was parked on the curb.

I rolled my eyes at the sudden overload of cheesiness – all the while loving it deep down inside – when he held over my door for me.

"So, are you finally going to tell me what the big plan for tonight is?" I asked as he slipped into the drivers seat.

"Just dinner and a movie," he stated, looking rather smug.

"Really Edward? Dinner and a movie?" I chuckled. I was actually glad that he'd kept to my request but somehow it sounded so...highschool.

"What?" he said in mock indignation. "You practically ordered me not to make any grand gestures on our date. I thought dinner and a movie would be a safe option!"

He parked the car a short distance from the cinema and we walked hand in hand along the sidewalk.

"So which movie are we going to see?" I asked as we entered the cinema.

"Burn after Reading," he stated.

He nearly fell over when I jumped into his arms squealing in pleasure.

"You really must be a mind reader!" I laughed.

"Believe me, Bella," he sighed, placing a soft kiss on my lips. "Most of the time I really wish I could read your mind."

"So," he continued. "I figure you agree with my choice in movie?'

I nodded feverishly. How could anyone pass on a chance to see George Clooney and Brad Pitt in one movie, let alone when it was directed by the genius Coen brothers?

--

We walked out of the cinema a few hours later still shaking from the laughter. Brad Pitts little dance had me nearly rolling off my seat and I was still trying to decide which character in the movie was the biggest idiot.

"So you liked it?" Edward smiled.

I nodded fiercely. "I love you for picking this one!" I added. "Tough I'd love you, even if it was just for your capability to just watch a movie and be completely normal doing it." I sighed.

He looked at me questioningly.

"I only ever go to the movies with Libby, Jasper, Zafrina, Emmett and Rose and believe me, none of them have that capability. Libby can't sit still for five minutes on end, let alone for an entire movie. Usually about fifteen minutes in she'll start bouncing up and down in her seat yelling comments about the movie through the cinema." I smiled at the memory of our most recent trip to the cinema.

"Jasper only wants to go to historical movies which means that after about five minutes he'll start explaining how much of the historical facts the director messed up. Zafrina will usually go with us and blare in my other ear about how the cinematography could be improved and don't get me started on Emmett and Rose..."

"That bad?" he laughed.

"Yup," I sighed. "They'll usually start fighting even before we've reached the theater. Emmett wanting to see an action movie, Rose preferring chick flicks. So when Emmett gets his way Rose will spend the rest of the night bitching about how much of an ass Emmett is for making her sit through some dumb-ass fight movie and when Rose gets her way Emmett will get us kicked out of the cinema for making all kinds of ...inappropriate...comments during the film."

"Such as?" Edward asked, smiling at my description.

"Well, I can remember when we went to see Atonement. Rose and I were supposed to go together but Emmett decided he wanted to tag along. He thought that because the movie was set during World War I it would probably be eight parts fighting to two parts romance..." I paused remembering what happened next.

"So of course he got bored after ten minutes had passed and he still hadn't seen anyone get dismembered. So when Robbie and Cecilia got all hot and heavy in the library he actually jumped up from his seat, pumped his fist in the air and screamed 'Do it for the boys Robbie! Show the bitch who's boss'."

Edward looked at me disbelievingly.

"Oh, but that's not what got us kicked out that time..." I continued, shuddering as the memory of that night drifted back into my mind.

"It's not?" he asked.

"Oh no. He got a few hisses and some people threw stuff at him but all hell broke loose after that," I replied.

"What did he do?"

"When Briony interrupted Robbie and Cecilia a few moments later he yelled 'Oh for God's sake just strangle the little sucker.' That's what got us kicked out." I had been sure Rose would break Emmett's nose – again – but she claimed she had other ways of making him pay. I didn't ask her what those ways were. I had a sense I didn't want to know.

Edward chuckled. "I can imagine why you'd think I'm normal. I hope you didn't get bored though!"

"Never!" I laughed.

He took me back to the car and drove through the streets of Manhattan. I was just wondering where he would take me for dinner when I noticed we were driving towards Brooklyn Bridge.

"Brooklyn?" I asked, wondering where he was taking me.

"I'm not telling you anything." he answered with a light chuckle, turning the car back in the direction of the river almost as soon as he crossed the bridge.

The penny dropped. "The River Café?" I asked, disbelievingly. I sure as hell was glad I'd put on a nice dress now.

"What? You'd really think I'd just get you a pretzel from a hot dog stand?" he grinned.

"Seriously, Edward!" I huffed.

"Bella, look at me," he said in a commanding voice. I turned to find his face serious. "You don't know how grateful I am for having you back in my life. It's what I dreamed of for almost every single moment when we were apart. All I want now is to show you how much I love and worship you and you'll just have to accept that sometimes that means that I will be spending money on you."

I sighed in defeat. Who could argue with Edward when he acted like that. "Just don't do it too often," I grumbled.

We got into the restaurant and were escorted to a table by the window. The view was amazing. You could see almost all of Manhattan from where we were sitting and ever get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

"This is amazing," I sighed.

Edward did his best not to appear smug. "I knew you'd like it," he said. "Carlisle and Esme took us here when Alice and I had just settled in New York. When I took one look at the view I knew I would someday have to share it with the woman I loved."

"And here we are..." I said.

"We sure are." The expression on Edwards face was one of pure love and joy. It brought a tear to my eye.

Dinner was lovely. The food was just delicious and the company even better. I couldn't decide what to eat – not having that much experience with fancy food – so I let Edward order for me and he sure did a good job.

When the waiter put my dessert in front of me I had to fight the urge not to drool. The chocolate sticky toffee cake in front of me made almost all of my fantasies come true. Almost. It would have been even more perfect if it had been just Edward and me. In my room. With the desert sitting on his naked body. The thought of it made me blush and unfortunately Edward noticed.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, chuckling lightly.

"Nothing!" I squeaked, taking a bit of my cake.

"You're a bad liar,"' he said, snatching the spoon from my fingers.

"Edward Cullen. Hand me back that spoon or by God I'm going to hurt you!" I snarled.

"It's a sad day when a man finds out he's been defeated by a pudding," he spoke, shaking his head in disbelieve.

"Not just any pudding, Edward. Didn't Esme teach you never to stand between a woman and her chocolate?" I grinned.

He sighed and handed me back my spoon. I took another bite of the cake, actually groaning when the soft texture of the dessert made contact with my lips. When I looked back at Edward I saw that he was enjoying this. Very much.

"You like what you see?" I asked, coyly.

"A little too much," he admitted. "I wish it was me who was making you moan like that."

I gasped, nearly choking on my dessert while no doubt inventing a new shade of red in the process.

"Then why don't you take me home and make me," I suggested.

"Three date rule, love. Three date rule," he stated. Was it just me or did he sound a little regretful?

We went home not long after that. We had completely lost track of time during our dinner and it was already way past eleven. Edward must have been exhausted, having been up for almost 48 hours. We'd decided earlier in the week that Edward would stay over tonight, though with our three date rule firmly in place we'd do nothing more than make out a little and snuggle up under the covers.

Zafrina was watching some movie when we got back. When she heard us she turned off the television and stood up.

"I'll leave you two lovebirds to yourself," she grinned, getting up to grab her things.

"Oh, you don't have to leave right this minute!" I said, not wanting to be ungrateful. "We could have a drink?"

"No thanks," she smiled. "I'll just drop this stuff off and then I'll go over to Senna's to get drunk and do some more painting." Senna was her best friend and fellow artist.

I walked her to the door. "Thanks again for watching Libby tonight," I said.

"No problem," she grinned. "Now go get back to your hot date!"

"I'm going to get ready for bed," I told Edward, before stepping in to my bedroom. I had to step away from the gorgeous man in the living room before I would throw myself at him and ravish him at the spot. That – wonderful as it might seem – would get us nowhere.

What was the appropriate thing to wear to bed for a night of chaste kissing with the man of your dream while fantasizing about having hot steamy sex with said man? Not to mention the five year old daughter was sleeping in the room next door?

Usually I would just wear a pair of ratty old sweats to bed but I knew that wearing those tonight would feel...wrong. They were too asexual, even for an occasion such as this. On the other hand the thing – I was refusing to call it a nightgown – Rose had bought for me didn't seem appropriate either.

Just then I remembered I had a nice set of pajama's lying around somewhere that would be perfect for this occasion. It was a set of a powder colored cotton tank top and a matching pair of silk pajama bottoms. The soft fabric actually felt nice against my legs.

I heard a soft knock on the door before Edward stepped into my bedroom. "Do you mind if I get ready in here?" he asked.

"Go ahead," I replied. "I'll be in the bathroom." With that I disappeared trough the door between my bedroom and the bathroom.

I took in a deep breath as I looked in the mirror. "I can do this," I whispered to myself as I opened the door of my bathroom to find Edward lying on the bed in nothing but a pair of pajama bottoms. The sight of his sculpted chest brought flashbacks of previous ogling sessions to mind.

He threw back the covers for me and slipped into bed beside me, cradling me to his chest. I reached up to kiss him and sighed when his lips made contact with mine. Even after the many kisses we'd shared during the last week I never got used to feeling the electric current run through our bodies when we touched or kissed. I hoped I would never get used to it, that I would always feel like this.

Our kiss soon grew heated, our tongues battling for dominance while my hands explored every inch of his body, eliciting all kinds of delightful hisses and groans from Edward. When we broke apart, panting for breath he flipped me over and positioned himself next to me, his head resting on one of his hands.

I looked at him questioningly. Had our make out session come to an end already? We were just getting started.

He chuckled at my no doubt frustrated expression, leaning in for another kiss while tangling his free hand in my hair. As our kiss deepened his hand moved down from my head to my chest, fondling my swollen mounds before resuming it's wandering ways down my stomach, past the waistband of my pajama pants and into my underwear.

"Edward?" I asked questioningly. This seemed a huge infringement of his three date rule. Not that I minded.

"I don't think this falls under the three date rule," he chuckled, his thumb flicking over my bundle of nerves.

I moaned at the feeling. "You sure about that?"

"I'm just...enjoying the bouquet without actually tasting the wine," he explained, his voice sounding a little strained. "Remember? Bill Clinton..."

I blushed, remembering what he said all too well.

"Good!" I gasped as I felt him gently ease two fingers inside of my wet core. I wasn't going to whine if he wanted to bend the rules a little.

I lead my head fall back as his fingers started to move in and out of me in a steady pace, his thumb tracing circles over my clit. My mouth opened slightly but not producing any sound.

"God, Bella, do you know what seeing you like this does to me?" he hissed, his hands never swaying from their gentle rhythm

"Edward!" was all I could manage in reply, feeling the tension staring to build in my abdomen.

"That's it Bella, come for me," he panted in my ear.

Edwards lips stifled my moans as his hands send me flying over the edge.

"Good girl," he chuckled, leaning in to kiss me while his hands traveled black to my chest.

I laughed a little sheepishly as he pulled back.

"I love you," he said, suddenly very serious.

"I love you too," I whispered back.

He kissed me once more before flipping us over. I snuggled into his chest as he stroked my hair, humming a strangely familiar tune.

It was the last thing I remembered before drifting off to sleep.

_**wipes brow That was the longest chapter I've written so far. I hope you liked it. In the next chapter a certain little pixie will make her first appearance. I know Burn after Reading will probably be out of the cinema's in the US by now, but we're only getting it in late October in the Netherlands (Yeah, I know we're way behind, and don't get me started about receiving my copy of Breaking Dawn only on august 8****th****, let me repeat AUGUST 8****th****). I'm really excited about seeing that movie myself so it seemed like an obvious choice to me.**_

_**I haven't been to the River Café but it seems like the kind of place Edward would take Bella for as far as I can see on their website and the desert menu makes my mouth water...**_

_**Okay. Now, please review and I might reciprocate with giving you some Alice on Wednesday...Yes, you read it correctly: this might become another three chapter week.**_


	15. Aren't pixies supposed to be cute?

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**I thought pixies were supposed to be cute.**

I awoke the next morning to find my head resting on the softest pillow that ever existed: Edwards chest. I raised my head a little, trying to sneak a look at the alarm clock.

Damn! It was ten in the morning! We'd overslept. That meant...

"Libby!" I shrieked. In my nerves about the date with Edward I had totally forgotten about telling Libby about Edward staying over.

"What?" Edward groaned, his arms tightening around me. There was something about the way he held me though. It was almost as if he was afraid of something.

"Edward, we need to get up. It's 10 AM already and Libby is bound to be up by now," I said, trying to free myself from his embrace.

"So?" he chuckled, rolling over and pinning me underneath him. He looked relieved, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"I forgot to tell her about you staying over and now she's going to find out the wrong way and I have to think about what I'm going to say to her and I can't do that when you have your arms around me," I rambled, still trying to break free.

"Perhaps she won't even notice that I stayed over," Edward said.

"It's Libby we're talking about here," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Of course she'll notice."

"All I'm saying is: let's not cross that bridge before we reach it."

"But I want to be prepared for what happens when..." The rest of my reply was smothered beneath Edwards lips.

I sighed into his mouth and let myself get caught up in our kiss. A few more minutes delay wouldn't hurt...

"Good morning," he said, when he drew back.

"Hi," I replied shyly, temporarily forgetting all about the calamity that awaited.

"I remember a time when you were being much more...difficult...about me kissing you in the morning," he chuckled, softly rubbing his nose against mine.

"And I remember you luring me out of the bathroom with breakfast," I replied. "Any chance of a repeat?"

Now it was his chance to blush. "Bella," he said in a tiny voice, looking like a lost little boy. "You know I can't cook to save my life."

I laughed out loud. "It's okay Edward! I'm perfectly fine with making breakfast. Libby would want my Saturday morning specialty anyway."

"And what, might I ask, is that?" he chuckled.

"Chocolate chip pancakes," I replied, sneaking in a quick kiss on his lips.

"That sounds delicious. I can't wait to taste them," he groaned as I trailed my fingers over the muscles on his back.

"Then I'd better get dressed and start my preparations," I chuckled, freeing myself from his hold and rushing to my closet, grabbing a pair of jeans, a purple sweater and some underwear.

"You're such a tease!" he grumbled.

"Three date rule, Edward!" I said, grinning wickedly. I loved the fact that I could throw his own words back at him.

"I swear you'll be the death of me some day!" he groaned, pulling one of the pillows over his head.

I hurried into the bathroom where I showered and got dressed quickly, using the other exit to leave. I didn't think I could control myself if I had to walk past a half naked Edward lying in my bed.

I walked into the living room to find Libby already up and playing with her dolls. When she saw me she ran up to me with her hairbrush in her hands. I worked my way through the tangles in her hair all the while trying to come up with a way to tell her about Edward staying over.

Just about then Edward walked into the living room, dressed in a pair of jeans and a fresh green shirt, his hair still wet from the shower. I knew I should be worried about him ruining every chance I had of gently easing Libby into the whole Edward sleeping over thing, but I was too turned on by the sight in front of me to care. Luckily Libby still had her back turned to me.

"I thought you were going to make breakfast?" he grinned.

"Impatient much?" I grinned, while adding the finishing touches to Libby's ponytail.

"Are you going to make pancakes?" Libby asked eagerly.

"Is the pope a catholic?" I replied.

"Yay!" Libby yelled, bounding over to Edward. "Edward, you should taste them. They are so delicious!"

"I can't wait," Edward chuckled, kissing the top of Libby's head.

"Then I'd better get to work!" I laughed.

"Can I help, mommy?" Libby asked.

"Sure, darling," I replied. "But don't you want to keep Edward company?"

"That's okay," Edward said, before Libby could answer my question. "I have to install the booster seat for Libby in my car."

I knew I should be happy about the fact that Edward had thought about bringing a booster seat for Libby but instead I wasn't. He seemed way to happy to be able to make his escape. Was he actually trying to use the safety of our child as a way to get out of a possibly difficult talk?

"Fine," I grumbled, glaring at Edward before I stomped off to the kitchen, Libby hot on my heals.

"Mommy?" Libby asked, helping me prepare the batter.

"Yes sweetheart?" I replied, glad to have the pancakes to keep my focus on.

"Did you and Edward have a sleepover last night?"

I blushed fire engine red. "Yes Libby, you could say that," I stammered.

"I like sleepovers," Libby said enthusiastically, no doubt thinking of her own sleepovers at Jasper's or Bree's.

"So do I," Edward chuckled, standing in the door opening. Why the hell wasn't he out installing that damned booster seat of his?

I glared at him. Damn that man and his ability to keep his composure when his daughter asked difficult questions and damn him for making me answer those questions all on my own!

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully. It was nice to have breakfast as a family. It made me almost feel like I was in some kind of sappy commercial from the fifties. When we were done Edward drove us to the Central Park Zoo.

As soon as we had entered the gates Libby practically dragged Edward by the hands, trudging him over to the Lemurs screaming "Let's meet ze pansies!" I trudged behind them trying not to laugh too hard.

Being at the zoo with Libby was an experience in itself and I was happy Edward got to share it with us this time. Libby and I had been to this zoo so often she knew must of the animals by name and she had a habit of inventing stories about what they were thinking, based on the way she'd seen them act in her favorite cartoons.

The most hilarious things we heard her say that day were at the penguin accommodations.

Edward had obviously seen Happy Feet and wanted to impress Libby with his knowledge of it, so he asked her why the penguins weren't dancing.

I briefly wondered if I should have warned Edward about the fact that Libby, unable to decide between Happy Feet and Madagascar, had turned the animals into a bunch of neurotic tap dancing psychopaths.

"No silly!" Libby yelled, punching him lightly in the chest.

The disappointed expression on Edwards face was priceless. He looked as if someone had just kicked his puppy.

"They are shy," she explained, sensing Edwards discomfort. "They only dance when the Zoo is closed and all the visitors have gone. Right now they are plotting their escape!"

"Escape?" Edward asked.

"They don't like the Zoo. They want to go to Antarctica so they have to escape and steal a boat."

"Ah, I see," Edward said, looking at me for help.

"Come on Libs," I said, " let's go see the other animals.

"Edward?" Libby asked as we walked past the giraffes. "Can you cure Melmans hypothermia?"

"Who the hell is Melman?" Edward whispered in my ear. "And why is he suffering from hypothermia?"

"Melman is the giraffe from _Madagascar_ and he suffers from hypochondria," I whispered back. Obviously Edward hadn't seen that movie yet.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" I was almost feeling sorry for Edward. He seemed so desperate to make a good impression on Libby.

"Just wheedle yourself out of it," I laughed. "You're the one that had to brag about being such a surgical hot shot!"

He took a deep breath before turning back to Libby.

"Well," Edward started. "I'm not a vet or a psychiatrist so I'm not sure about that. Perhaps you could just...talk to him?"

"Talk to him?" Libby asked, cocking her head.

"Yes," Edward sounded a little more sure of himself. "Often hypochondriacs suffer from neglect. If you'd just talk to him and give him some attention he might just turn round."

"Okay," Libby beamed, stepping as close to the animals as she could get.

"Does this count as our second date?" I whispered in Edwards ear as Libby was deep in conversation with the giraffe she'd christened Melman, telling him all about the pancakes she had for breakfast.

"Nope!" he chuckled.

"Not even if I let you buy Libby and me dinner afterwards?" I pleaded.

"Not even then," he stated.

"Please?" I pouted.

"Isn't this supposed to be the other way around?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Fine!"I huffed. "Have it your way!"

Deep down inside I knew that we needed the time the three date rule gave u to get to know each other. Edward in particular needed it. I knew he was still blaming himself for what happened and that us having sex so soon after we met five years ago had a lot to do with that. I knew I needed to let him set the pace and wait until he was ready but there was something about him that just made we want to...pounce at him.

--

Rose came by with little Charlie on Tuesday afternoon right after Libby and I got home. She looked exhausted. It was quite obvious she had asked too much of her body too soon after giving birth to her first child.

"Do you want me to call Emmet?' I offered, a bit worried.

"Please let me stay here for a little while?" she begged, after I made sure she was comfortable on the couch. "I'm starting to get cabin fever at my place and yours is the only other place Emmet would let me go."

"He's that bad?" I asked.

"He's hovering all over us like a mother goose," Rose huffed. "You know I love him to bits but if he doesn't stop fussing over me any time soon I'm going to commit murder."

"Talk to him," I said. "I did."

"He did this to you as well?" Rose asked disbelievingly.

"Yup. All I can say is that talking helps. Emmet may seem like a big fun loving goofball but underneath all of that he's much more serious than most people think. He's just scared that's all. He'll turn round soon enough."

"I know," Rose said. "it just makes me feel so...argh!"

"I know," I smiled, thinking back to how frustrated I had been to be under Emmet-watch 24/7.

"Anyways," Rose sang, grinning wickedly at me. "Enough about me. How did your hot date with Mr. Wonderful go last weekend."

I knew there was another reason for her visit! She wanted to meet Edward. I'd let slip that he came over most nights after work and I figured Rose was going to wait to get the chance to corner him.

"It went really well. He took me to see a movie and it was nice actually seeing a movie without getting kicked out before the previews have ended," I said, glaring at Rose. She blushed and looked away.

"Then we went to the River Café and had dinner. He'd reserved a table by the window and it was so romantic..." I gushed, my mind wandering back to last Saturday.

"So, it was nice," she purred. I inwardly groaned, knowing what she was getting at.

"Yes," I answered shortly.

"What happened afterwards?" she demanded. "Did you get to put my little present to good use?"

I shrugged.

"We went home and got to bed," I said, trying to make my voice sound as convincingly as possible.

"Bella!" Rose whined. "Please throw me a rope here! You know I can't have sex for at least a few more weeks and if you don't give me some details to tie me over I'll have to resort to bad Internet porn!"

"There's really nothing much to share Rose," I replied, still cringing from the unwanted information overload. "Three date rule, remember?"

"Are you really trying to get me to believe that Edward slept over and you didn't do anything more then sleep?" she said, impatiently tapping her finger at the armrest of the sofa.

I made the huge mistake of thinking back to having Edward touch me.

"A-ha!" Rose yelled, noticing my blush. "So you did get down and dirty with Edward!"

"Come on Rose! It was our first proper date in five years! _My_ first proper date in five years! You didn't really think I'd jump his bones before we got to the car did you?" I yelled.

"Why not?" she shrugged. "I did."

"Don't go there, Rose," I warned. "There are thing a sister doesn't need to know about her brother and this sure as hell is one of them!"

"You're such a prude!" Rose huffed, knowing she wasn't getting any more information out of me.

Just then two things happened to put me out of my misery. Libby wandered back into the living room, effectively cutting short all sex talks, and the doorbell rang, giving me an excuse to actually free myself from Rose's questioning looks.

I opened the door to find a beautiful little pixie like woman glaring daggers at me.

"Bella Swan?" she snarled.

I nodded. The woman was staring to scare me a little. I hoped she wasn't some kind of crazy madwoman coming to stab me in the chest. I desperately tried to remember the basic tactics of self defense but I was also extremely glad that Rose – the black belt self defense teacher - was only a few feet away in the living room.

"You. Broke. My. Brother," the pixie huffed, pointing one of her perfectly manicured fingers at me.

"Alice?" I asked. I could only think of one woman who could accuse me of breaking her brother.

The girl scrunched her eyes into tiny little slits but nodded.

"Why don't you come in?" I suggested, not wanting to go through the whole meet-your-lovers-sister-who-possibly-hates-your-guts thing in the passageway where all my neighbors could enjoy the show.

She glared at me once more before stepping into my hallway.

"Look," I said. "I don't know what Edward told you about us but please believe me, I never intended to hurt him."

"Edward never told me a thing," she stated, looking at me suspiciously. "I found out through one of his friends from work. Though I had a feeling it might be you. My brother has been acting way too cheerful for the last few days."

"What did they tell you?" I asked. If I was going to have to defend myself against the angry pixie then I better get to know what I was up against.

"I knew from Edward that he was seeing someone, but when Kate let slip that the name of that someone was Bella I just put two and two together," she admitted reluctantly.

I felt a little relieved. If she didn't know anything yet then at least I still had a chance to make things right if I explained to her what had happened.

"It was all a misunderstanding," I said, looking straight at her. "I had to leave Florida because my father was in hospital. Since I didn't have Edwards phone number at the time I left him a note. The stupid thing I did was leaving that note with somebody who couldn't be trusted..." With that I went on to explain how I'd thought that Edward didn't want me because I wasn't good enough for him and Edward pretty much doing the same thing.

Alice had been keeping a close watch on my face during my explanation and I could see she believed what I said, being it reluctantly.

"Look," I sighed. "I was every bit as broken and shattered as Edward was. Believe me. I love your brother and now that I have found him again I wont ever let him go again. I'm his for as long as he wants me."

It felt odd admitting these kind of things to a total stranger when I hadn't even admitted it truly to myself. As soon as the words had left my mouth though, I knew they were the truth. I loved Edward and I wouldn't let go.

Alice scrunched her eyes again, studying me for a few moments before she spoke. "I believe you," she said hesitantly. "But that doesn't make us best friend forever. My brother as been looking and acting like a zombie for the best part of these last five years and even if it's all been because of a misunderstanding, I can't just step over that."

"I'm okay with that," I shrugged. "I'd be acting the same if it were my brother. I'm just glad you're giving me a chance to prove myself."

She nodded.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked. "Rose, my brother's girlfriend, and I were just going to have some tea and you'd be welcome to join us." Even though the little pixie still scared me, having her over would mean that at least Rose would stop with the third degree. Rose was shameless, but not as shameless as to pump me for information about my love life in front of a total stranger who's brother just so happens to be the other party in said love life. Or at least I thought.

"I don't know," she said.

"It's okay," I assured her. Maybe she didn't like going behind enemy lines with the odds stacked against her. "And you'll get to meet Libby as well!"

"Libby?" she asked.

I felt a little stab of pain in my chest. Of course, Edward had never told her we were together again, how could she have known of Libby's existence? The fact that he had kept the both of us a secret worried me though. It was another sign that he was still keeping his distance.

I tried to compose myself as quick as I could.

"It's a long story, but what it basically boils down to is that I got pregnant five years ago and the child is Edwards." I cringed slightly at those last words. I didn't know Alice that well and so I had no way of knowing how she would react to my confession.

She didn't do anything and after a few tense moments I felt myself relaxing. She just stood there, completely shell shocked, her eyes blinking in a frantic rhythm.

"Are you okay?" I asked after a while. I wondered if I should get her a glass of water.

"You mean I've been an aunt for five years and I never knew?" she finally asked.

Would this bring out the anger?

"Yes," I admitted.

"Are you really saying that just because Edward is a spineless masochistic little twerp who'd rather wallow in self pity then go out and get his woman I've missed out on FIVE years of shopping for a little girl?" She shrieked.

I looked at her questioningly. Okay, this girl probably had some huge issues. She'd just been told she had been an aunt for five years and never knew it and all she could think about was shopping? Man, and I thought my family was screwed up!

"Can I see her?" she asked, nearly bouncing in place. The sight looked eerily familiar.

"Of course you can," I said, a little hesitant though of letting the little lunatic come near my daughter. "Thought there's one thing I should warn you about..."

"Being?"

I searched for the right words. "Edward and I...we didn't tell her about him being her father yet. We thought it was best to let her get used to having him around before springing that on her."

She nodded. "I can see why you thought that best. I'll try my best to keep your secret."

I opened the door to the living room. Rose and Libby were both on the couch looking over one of the bridal magazines Rose had brought with her. When they heard us they both looked up and I heard Alice let out a small gasp as she took in Libby's appearance.

As soon as Alice let her eyes drift from Libby to Rose a strange kind of standoff started to take place. It reminded me of two cats meeting in an alleyway fighting over the contents of a garbage bag. They just glared at each other silently, though I had the distinct notion that they could start hissing at each other and claw each others eyes out any second.

"Rose, Libby...This is Alice Cullen," I said. "Edwards sister."

Alice took a hesitant step forward, causing Rose to square her shoulders.

"Alice, this is Rosalie Hale, my soon to be sister in law."

Alice's eyes grew huge and she looked at me like I had just introduced her to Angelina Jolie.

"Rosalie Hale?" she shrieked, looking over to Rose. "_The_ Rosalie Hale who graced the cover of the Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Edition _twice_ and is now a fashion editor for Runway?"

Rose nodded, smiling from ear to ear. She loved being recognized.

"I love you!" Alice squealed, jumping up and down lick some scary version of a cheerleader. "I'm a personal shopper so Runway's pretty much my Holy Bible."

All animosity seemed to have been forgotten after that. I made us some tea and we spend a few awkward moments sipping tea and eating cookies in total silence. Alice still seemed a little starstruck. Rose was just silently enjoying her moment in the spotlight and I really didn't know what the hell to say. In the end it was Libby who saved the day.

"Are you really Edwards sister?" Libby questioned, hopping from the couch and skipping over to Alice and me. "You don't look like him."

"We're not really brother and sister. We just grew up together," Alice explained. "Edward is actually my cousin."

"Oh," Libby replied, looking puzzled. "But doesn't he have a mommy and a daddy of his own?"

Alice looked at me for help.

"Honey," I said, kneeling down beside her. "Edward's parents died when he was very young. Alice's mom and dad adopted him."

"That's sad," Libby whispered, her voice containing her grief for people she'd never even met.

"It is," Alice said in a tiny voice, her face betraying her pain.

She was quick to recover. "I like your dress!" she complimented Libby.

"I know! It's so pretty!" Libby replied twirling in front of Alice. "Auntie Rose took me shopping before she had the baby and we bought all these pretty dresses. You should come see them!"

"I'd love to, if that's alright?" she said, looking at me.

I nodded. The pixie seemed harmless enough. I was sure Libby would be safe with her.

"So..." Rose started. "She's Edwards sister?"

"Yup, " I replied, quickly explaining everything that had happened in the hallway.

"I should go check on Libby and Alice," I said after I'd finished. They had been in Libby's room for a while now and I was starting to worry.

They weren't in Libby's bedroom, but I could hear a muted conversation going on somewhere. A cold shiver ran through my spine when I realized they were actually in my bedroom.

I found the two of them sitting on the floor in front of my closet, having a blast.

"Bella, you and I should really go shopping someday soon," Alice said, shaking her head at the contents of my closet while Libby nodded feverishly.

"What?" I asked.

"We just have to get you some nice things. You know, for when you go out?" she said, indicating her head towards Libby. I liked how she managed to keep her mouth shut about grown up relationships in front of my child, a skill that Rose and Emmet where yet to master.

"I have nice things," I said weakly.

Alice just snorted, looking back and forth between my closet and me while cocking an eyebrow.

"I have some nice things!" I glared.

"Yeah, the things that I bought for you!" Rose snickered, appearing in the doorway with Charlie in her arms.

"Did I hear someone say something about personal shoppers?" she asked, shifting Charlie in her arms.

Rose and Alice soon launched into a conversation about fashion, stylishness and my lack thereof. Rose felt pressed to recount every single fashion faux-pas I'd made over the last few years, much to the delight of Alice and Libby.

"Did you know she actually thought that Valentino was a motocross racer when I first met her?" Rose giggled.

"No, she didn't" Alice yelled in shock.

"What?" I said, a little hurt. "I lived over at Emmet's so the only time I'd heard of that name was when he had ESPN on!"

Alice and Rose somehow found that very amusing.

--

**EPOV**

--

"Mom?"

"Edward!" I could hear Esme's happiness and relieve about the fact that I'd called her through the phone. "How are you, honey?"

"I'm fine. Great actually!" I said.

It was true. For the first time in years I felt great. It was as if a fog had been lifted from my brain and I could see everything clearly for the first time in my life.

"Edward," her voice sounded weary. "Are you all right?" I was sure she must have been thinking I had sought my refuge in drugs. I wasn't usually this cheerful. Hell, I couldn't even remember the last time I had called her of my own accord.

I knew my family had worried a lot about me for these last few years and that my aloofness had hurt them, especially Esme. Still, I had been unable to pull myself up from the dark abyss that had swallowed me. That is, until I met Bella again.

"I'm fine mom," I repeated. "Something has happened. I'm actually calling because of that."

"What's happened?" Esme asked eagerly.

I tried to find the right words to explain everything that had happened to me in the last few days.

"I've found her again. Bella. The girl I met five years ago," I blurted out. Speaking the words still brought a sense of elation. "She lives in New York and we're kind of together again."

"Edward that's wonderful!" Esme exclaimed and I could almost see the tears that had appeared in her eyes.

"It is," I sighed, once again thinking my heart would burst with happiness. "But that's not what I wanted to tell you. At least...that's not all of it."

I wished I could have told my mother in person that she was a grandmother. I knew it had always been her wish to see me happy and settled in life, though I think she had given up on the 'settled' part some while ago and would have been ecstatic just to see me happy again.

"What is it Edward? You know you can tell me everything!" I smiled at that. My stepmother was such a sweet and caring person. I knew she would probably be all loving and understanding even if I confessed to murdering someone and drinking their blood.

"Bella and I have a child together," I blurted out, not able to hold that piece of information in any longer. "I'm a father."

Silence.

"Mom? Are you alright?" I was staring to get a little concerned.

"I'm fine," she breathed. "Did you just tell me you had a child?"

"I did. I only found out myself a little over a week ago," I explained, relieved Esme wasn't having a heart attack. "You should see her mom. She's so adorable."

"She?"

"Yes. Bella gave life to a baby girl five years ago," I said, hardly able to contain my emotions. "Her name is Elizabeth Swan. Libby."

"Elizabeth?" Esme's voice cracked when she spoke the name. She and my mother had been very close and I knew Esme still missed her.

"I know," I sighed. "It's as if Bella knew. As if she'd seen right through me."

"I'm so happy you've found them Edward. I just wish I could be with you right now." I knew it was breaking poor Esme's heart that she was living hundreds of miles away from me but I also knew she couldn't live without Carlisle, not even for a few days.

"Why don't you and dad spend Thanksgiving in New York with us?" I offered. "You could get to know Bella and Libby and we'd all get to spend some time together."

"That sounds wonderful," Esme said. I knew she was still disappointed she couldn't see Bella and Libby right away, but the Thanksgiving weekend was only a few weeks away. We'd just have to settle for that. "I hope your father will be able to get some time off."

"I hope so too. I'd really like the two of you to meet the two most important people in my life."

We talked some more about the things that had passed in our lives before a quick glance at the clock told me it was time to leave for work.

"Listen mom. I have to go," I said. "I'll call you soon to set something up for Thanksgiving."

"That's fine Edward," she smiled. "And let me tell you again how happy I am that you've found them. I can hear how much good it's done you."

As I hung up I couldn't help smiling.

I didn't know why I had waited to tell my parents about Bella and Libby for so long. I guess it was just that I wanted to keep them all to myself for a little while. I wasn't ready to share Bella and Libby with the outside world just yet.

It was strange how my priorities had shifted in such a short time. Only a few days ago my work at the hospital had been everything to me. Now it only came in third, light years behind the two things that mattered most.

I left a quick note to Alice, explaining I wouldn't be home until late, before grabbing my keys and jumping into my car.

Part of me felt ashamed for not telling Alice about Bella and Libby yet. Alice was a much of a sister to me as any real sister could ever be and I knew how much she'd worried about me over the last few years.

I hated to admit it, but I was afraid of how she would react when she found out the woman I had been seeing was Bella. She had always been very protective of me and I knew Bella wasn't very high up on Alice's favorite person-list. She blamed her for my turning into a zombie for the last five years. She was bound to be angry and disappointed when I told her everything had been forgiven and forgotten and I could only begin to imagine how she would react when I told her Bella and I had a child together.

She was bound to react strongly to that news. I didn't know if she'd be happy or angry just yet. My sister was so unpredictable there was no knowing how she'd react but I knew I wasn't ready to expose Bella and Libby to her fierce elation or hatred just yet.

I was still scared to death Bella would vanish every time I left her. That she would see me for what I truly was and bolt, taking Libby with her. I had been so scared the night after our first date. I had spend most of the night awake in a fit of panic. What if she hated me for what I did? She had been so surprised -shocked almost – when I had taken our physical relationship a step further. I hadn't intended to do that but when she had snuggled up to me in bed I hadn't been able to control myself. I just had to touch her.

When I woke up to hear her screaming I thought that was it. She must have thought I was some kind of sex-crazed pervert. She would turn me out of the house and I would never see her or Libby again. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized she was just concerned about how Libby would react.

I made my way to the hospital just in time for rounds. As I put on my scrubs and my white coat I tried to push all thoughts of my family into the back of my head. I needed to focus now so that I could get back to Bella and Libby the moment I was done.

Luckily my shift went by quickly. I was asked to scrub in on a very complicated Humpty-Dumpty-surgery which took up most of my shift and required me to apply all my knowledge of the human heart.

When the surgery was finally done and the patient was brought to recovery I breathed a sigh of relieve. I handed over the case to the resident on call and briefed her on the post-op requirements. I checked on my other patients quickly before making my way to the locker room again. I had already stayed on half an hour past the end of my shift and I couldn't wait to get home to Bella.

As I opened the door to the living room the first thing I saw was Libby, playing on the floor with her dolls. The next thing I registered was the three women on the sofa, two of which were glaring at me.

"Hi, honey," Bella said, waving at me with one of her her tiny delicate hands. I could see she felt sorry for the lukewarm welcome I'd received but there were other emotions that played on her face as well.

Pain.

Disappointment.

I felt all color drain from my face as I realized the cause of said emotions was sitting next to her.

Alice.

I should have told her. I should have explained how Bella and I had gotten back together and I should have told her about Libby. Now Bella knew I hadn't and she would probably see that as a sign that something was wrong.

--

**BPOV**

--

I felt a huge surge of relief as I heard the key turn into the front door lock. Thank God! Edward was home!

I felt a little sorry for Edward as he stepped into the living room only to find himself glared at by two women.

"Hi, honey," I said, waving apologetically at him from my place in between the two angry women.

"What?" he managed to stammer after a while.

"I believe you've met your sister," I started, waving over towards Alice.

"And this is my brothers girlfriend Rose," I added, nearly shoving Rose off the couch in an effort to get her to behave herself. She finally stood up and walked over to Edward. For a moment I was scared she was actually going to deck him but she just stuck out her hand for him to shake.

"Rosalie Hale," she said, glaring at him. "I'm warning you. I'm only playing nice because Bella seems to like you enough to have forgiven you but if you ever – EVER - hurt Bella again, I'll personally yank off your balls."

I was too shocked to say anything. I looked over to Libby who was watching Rose and Edward with an open mouth while I heard a suppressed giggle coming from Alice.

"Noted," Edward said, shaking Rose's hand. "Edward Cullen, but I guess you knew that already."

Rose shot him another look before turning to collect her stuff. "I'd better get back before Emmet calls the cops," she said.

"He looks dreamy," Rose grinned as I walked her to the door. "I think I may just grow to like him!"

"Thanks, Rose!" I stammered. That was as much of a compliment as Rose had ever given.

I walked back into the apartment to find brother and sister locked into some kind of staring completion. I was getting a lot of those lately...

"Edward. Outside. Now." Alice snarled, stalking out of house while dragging Edward behind her.

I sighed as I heard the beginnings of a muted argument going on outside. The neighbors were going to love this!

"I'd best get you to bed!" I said to Libby, noticing the time. Libby should have been in bed ages ago.

"What was aunt Rose saying about playing with balls just yet? And why is Alice yelling at Edward?" Libby asked, as I helped her get ready for bed.

"I think she may be a little upset about something," I replied, not wanting to get too much into the _something_ part of my explanation. Edward would have some explaining of his own to do later.

"Can you ask Edward to kiss me goodnight when he gets back?" Libby asked in a tiny voice. It was obvious she was worried and she wanted to make sure Edward was okay before she went to sleep.

"Sure, honey," I said, kissing her goodnight and stepping back into the living room

--

**EPOV**

--

"What the hell are you doing here Alice?" I hissed, as soon as I had let my sister pull me out of the house.

"Oh, seriously?" Alice yelled. "You really think YOU are the one who gets to ask the questions here? You have some explaining to do."

She crossed her arms and glared at me.

I snorted and looked away. If she thought she could play the injured little princess with me she was in for a disappointment.

"Well...I'm waiting," she hissed, tapping her foot.

I thought over my options quickly. I could play this staring down game for hours, just like I had when we were kids, but I really wanted to get back to Bella and explain things to her.

I sighed. "So, what do you want to know?"

"I want to know why you never told me you got back with Bella," she sounded disappointed. "Don't you trust me Edward?"

"Of course I trust you," I replied.

"Then why did I have to find out about this through Kate?" She yelled. "Did you even tell our parents? Or aren't they important enough to know about what's happening in the life of the great Edward Cullen either?"

I cringed. She was right. This wasn't the way I had wanted her to find out about Bella and Libby.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I made a huge mistake," I said. "But you have to understand, Alice. I'm still so scared of losing her."

"So you kept them hidden what,...because you're scared of me?" Alice snorted.

I looked away. I didn't want to admit it, but Alice was right. I had been afraid of how she would react.

"You are, aren't you?" she giggled. She was enjoying this a little too much.

I shrugged.

"Edward!" Alice scolded, playfully punching my shoulder. "You're such a spazz sometimes. What did you think I was going to do? Chase them off with a broomstick?"

"I don't know," I shrugged.

She hugged me. "Now that I do know, do you mind very much if I spend some time with them every now and then? I kind of like both of them."

"Not at all," I laughed. "As long as you don't steal them. They're mine."

"Possessive much?" Alice grinned. "What are you? Five?"

"Let's just get back inside," I said, rolling my eyes. "I have some explaining to do to Bella."

"Then I'd better get my stuff and leave you to it," she nodded.

"Oh and Alice?" I said as she brushed past me.

"Yes, brother dearest?" she purred.

"Please, try not to turn my daughter into some kind of label obsessed Spenderella," I pleaded. "I think Bella would kill me if you did."

"I'll see what I can do," she laughed, winking at me. "But I can't promise anything..."

_**Okay, so this chapter was pretty much rewritten when I edited it yesterday and today. Originally it was just in Bella's POV but some reviews got me thinking and I realized that I had to include some bits and pieces in Edwards POV in this chapter. If those bits seem a bit rushed it's because I literally wrote them today and I didn't have the time to think things over and get back to it as I normally do. I hope it's still up to scratch, though I'm not too happy with some parts. I hate how the conversation with Esme turned out, It just feels and flows...wrong. Luckily you'll get Esme's version of 'the talk' in a few chapters and I promise that one is much better.**_

_**Please review!**_


	16. No sex & the city

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**A link to the dress mentioned in this chapter can be found on my profile.**_

**No sex...& the city. **

"Do you hate me?" I asked, staring incredulously into the mirror of Vera Wang's bridal store.

"No? Why?" Rosalie replied from the other side of the dressing room curtain.

I yanked the curtain open and glared at her.

"Because of THIS!" I hissed, pointing at the dress and the shoes.

Rosalie frowned. "You'd think she would be a little more grateful for having her wear a beautiful designer gown in stead of some hideous bridesmaids frock!" she huffed at the saleswoman.

"Fine! If you want me to ruin your perfect wedding then by all means hoist me into this contraption but don't come crying to me afterwards. I've warned you!" I had her attention now. This wedding was her finest moment, the moment when the attention of the fashion world would once again be turned to the great Rosalie Hale, like in her modeling days.

"What do you mean?" she asked a little frightened.

"I mean that I'm totally going to trip over the hem of this dress and flash my boobs at the minister before I've even stepped two paces down the isle and these cute little shoulder straps sure as hell aren't going to prevent that!" I gesticulated towards the flimsy shoulder straps, loosely hanging over my shoulders, that where supposed to keep the dress in place.

Rose shot an anxious glance at the salesperson.

"They'll hold," the woman stated. Her face conveying her ill disguised contempt for daring to question the sturdiness of haute couture.

I simply glared back. I was still upset about waking up this morning to find myself alone in my own bed instead of in Edwards arms and I really needed some kind of outlet.

"Perhaps we should change the shoes?" Rosalie asked, still looking at the saleswoman.

I nodded feverishly. I couldn't wait to get out of the high heeled satin slingback sandals they had picked out for me. How did they suppose anyone could walk in those things? Let alone me?

The woman stalked off only to return a few moments later carrying a pair of white ballet flats with cute satin ribbons. I quickly slipped them on.

"Much better" I stated with a relieved smile. At least these shoes reduced the risk of tripping over my own feet. I still had to deal with not tripping over the skirt of my dress, but that was a matter I found I could deal with a lot easier now.

Rosalie walked to stand behind me.

"You look very beautiful," she said, placing one hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks, Rose." I looked back at her through the mirror's reflection. Of course I would never be a match for Rose, the former Sports Illustrated model, but I had to admit to myself that - all concerns about tripping and embarrassing myself and my family put aside - the dress _was _pretty and it did wonders for my self esteem.

Rosalie had gone for a bold red and white color scheme for her wedding and since she would obviously be dressed in white, my dress was a deep ruby red. She had picked out a satin and chiffon goddess gown for me which clung to my modest curves in perfection. Perhaps the flimsy fabric maybe wasn't the best shield against the cold December night they had picked out for their wedding, but since the entire event would take place indoors I had let Rose get away with that. At least I would be able to wear a coat outdoors. That is, if the fashion gestapo – otherwise known as Rose and Alice - would let me.

Rose and Alice had really hit it off last Tuesday. I suspected part of that had something to do with the fact that they both worked in the fashion industry and the fact that they both looked like Victoria's Secret Angels.

Alice had kept her word and gave me a chance at redeeming myself in her eyes. She dropped by on Thursday afternoon claiming she had been helping a client who lived nearby. The real reason for her visit was that she wanted to drop of some clothes she had bought for Libby – in fact, it looked like she had bought out the entire store – and fix a date for our shopping trip.

I had been of two minds about Alice's visit. I really wanted Alice to like me, she was Edwards sister and I knew they were close. But on the other hand I really hated shopping and I had a feeling that if I gave Alice free reign Libby would turn into a spoiled little spenderella in no time.

I climbed into the car with Rose. We had taken Emmett's big giant Jeep, since Emmett was cooped up at home all day taking care of Libby and Charlie.

In a flash of sheer brilliance Rose – desperate to get out of the house - had complained about not getting enough girl time and that being covered in baby poop and spit up all day was doing her self esteem no good. In the end she had somehow managed to get Emmett to offer to watch the kids while she had an all girl pampering session at the spa.

My admiration from Rose's actions had soon vanished when I found out that she intended for me to be one of those girls. Not that I had anything against pampering, I just didn't like being naked in public.

Complaining to Rose, of course, was of as much use as trying to sell ice to an Eskimo and so I found myself in a car with Rose on Saturday, picking up Heidi before submitting myself to a day at the spa.

"Hey!" Heidi greeted us as she got into the backseat.

"Now all we need is Alice and we're complete," Rose answered, tearing through the busy New York traffic.

"What? Alice is coming?" I asked confused.

"I called her Thursday to ask her if she could help me with some stuff for the wedding and ended up inviting her to tag along. She would have been at the bridal shop this morning if she didn't have an appointment with an important client already," Rose clarified.

I sighed. "Don't you think it would be a bit uncomfortable?"

"What on earth would be uncomfortable about the four of us spending a day at the spa together? I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for the two of you to get to know each other better," Rose said.

"The woman has only just decided not to kill me for hurting her brother and now you're expecting us to get naked and bond over a bikini wax? No, I don't see what could be uncomfortable about that!" I huffed, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"Don't be such a prude," Rose scolded. "You have an amazing body, especially if you consider the fact that you had a child. You shouldn't be afraid to show it."

"All the same I would have liked Edward to have taken a peek at it before I stripped in front of Alice!"

"Still not getting any?" Rose grinned, looking in her rear view mirror to see if Heidi was enjoying my embarrassment just as much as she was.

"Shut up Rose, or I'm going to tell Emmet all about that time you got piss drunk and reenacted that scene from Titanic where they are standing on the bow of the ship."

Rose pouted. I had the distinct notion she didn't like me to share the fact that she had run around, her arms stretched out sideways like a plane yelling 'look Jack, I'm Flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyying'.

"So when is your next hot date going to be?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Next Friday," I said. "I'm taking him with me to O'Grady's. I think that will be a nice opportunity for him to meet Emmett."

"That's an excellent idea!" Rose laughed. "At least you'll have all of your friends around to keep him in check!"

I had given the first meeting between Edward and Emmett some serious thought. I figured it was safer for them to meet in public so that Emmett would be forced to behave. I didn't think Emmett would attack Edward – at least not if he knew what was good for him – but he was sure to say some pretty stupid things if he got the chance.

"I'll get Felix to hold him back if he tries anything funny," Heidi offered.

"Thanks," I sighed in relief. Felix was probably the only one who could physically reign in my brother if need be. I needed him and Rose to help me.

"So how did you get Edward to agree to this?" Rose asked. "I've heard enough about him to suspect that he'd probably rather just whisk you away to some romantic restaurant and whisper sweet nothings in your ear all evening."

I laughed. She was probably right on the mark. "Edward has to work the weekend shift again next week so he won't get off until eight. That's too late to plan and execute any wildly romantic scheme so I suggested we'd just get something to eat at my place before doing the whole 'meet the family' thing."

"And you got him to count that as the second date?" Rose grinned.

Heidi look at us questioningly and we quickly explained to her about the three date rule.

"My timing was perfect. He was still feeling all guilty about having to work for two weekends in a row and not being able to spend much time with us so all in all it was easier than I thought it would be," I said.

"Way to go, Bella!" Rose yelled approvingly, pulling into a parking spot close to the spa. "I'm proud of you! You've successfully guilted Edward into doing things your way."

As we walked into the luxury spa we found Alice already waiting for us.

"How did it go at Vera Wang's?" She asked Rose as soon as she saw her.

"Of fine, that is if you don't count _someone_ throwing a hissy fit about her shoes as a disruption," she answered.

"What?" I said. "I was only voicing my concerns about the consequences of putting me in killer heals!"

"And with you being a teacher we all know 'concern' really means 'I hate it' in your book," Rose teased. She knew me too well.

She walked up to the desk to announce our arrival. We were shown into a small room where a woman explained the rules and our itinerary to us – apparently Rose had planned everything out - before ushering us into the changing rooms.

It felt odd, walking around in strange surroundings dressed in nothing but a robe. I knew I was probably acting like a Victorian prude and Rose would probably laugh at me, but I didn't care. It just felt...wrong.

After we were done we were called back into the little room, waiting for one of the employees to take us up to our first treatment.

"Miss Cullen? Miss Swan?" an older woman in a white uniform called. "Would you like to follow me to your body wrapping?"

Great! I would spend the next hour or so naked and wrapped up in the company of Alice Cullen, the scary fashion fairy. Just the thing I wanted.

The woman ushered us into a small room with two treatment tables and a row of shower cubicles in the back. She quickly explained to us what was going to happen before giving us a leaflet, telling us to pick one of three options for our body wrap and get comfortable on one of the treatment tables.

Our first assignment really wasn't that hard.

"Do you know which one you're choosing?" I asked, studying the brochure that explained the benefits of all wraps on offer.

"Hmm, let me guess..." she started, sticking a finger in her mouth in mock contemplation, "Do I want to go for the smelly clay wrap, the stinky seaweed wrap or the sugary deliciousness of the chocolate wrap?"

"That is a very tough decision to make," I contemplated, trying to keep in my giggles.

"Chocolate wrap it is!"Alice laughed.

Then the awkward moment of having to take off our bathrobes arrived. Apparently the awkwardness was all mine in this case because Alice just peeled of her robe and hopped onto the treatment table acting as though she was still fully dressed.

I sighed, pulling of the robe and hanging it by my treatment table.

"You look like you're a bit uncomfortable," Alice remarked, trying hard not to smile.

"I am," I admitted.

"Why?" she asked.

Did I need to spell it out? Me. Naked. In. Front. Of. Stranger.

"I'm just not that comfortable with the whole getting naked thing," I sighed, arranging myself on the table.

Alice laughed out loud. "You're as bad as my brother! When we were younger our mom took us to the beach one day. You should have seen the way he wrapped himself in a towel like some sick kind of mummy to keep himself covered while getting in and out of his swim trunks. You really are made for each other!"

"What?"

"I bet you didn't even have sex yet!" she nearly sang.

"Edward and I had sex!" I huffed. "We even have the child to prove it!"

"Yeah, but that was five years ago," Alice replied, rolling her eyes. "What about during the last few weeks?"

I shook my head.

"Then what do you do all night? Play Parcheesi?" she asked disbelievingly.

"We just talk and...make out," I whispered, not wanting to share my sex life with the rest of the spa.

Just then the two women who were going to do our wrappings came in, effectively cutting short our conversation.

Being covered in chocolate was a very odd sensation. The stuff they rubbed over our body was thick and very hot. The sweet smell of chocolate immediately wafted into my nose, making me feel all lightheaded.

When the women were done they wrapped our bodies in some sort of cling film before covering us with blankets.

"Just relax and let the wrapping do it's work. We'll be back in half an hour," one of them said, before turning down the light and leaving the room.

"Sooooooo," Alice started, as soon as we were alone. "I thought I picked up on a little hint of frustration when you were saying you weren't getting any. What's up with that?"

"Aren't we supposed to relax?" I tried.

No success.

"I am never more relaxed then when I'm talking about sex and since I'm not getting any myself, I just have to make do with other people's sex lives," she grinned.

Great! Another sexually frustrated woman who wanted to live vicariously through me. Why did everyone seem to think I wanted to share the details of my love life with them? What made them think I had a sex life anyway?

Oh yeah, of course the amazing hunk of a man I called my boyfriend would make them think that. There was no way any sane woman would be able to keep her hands to herself when alone in a room with Edward Cullen. If only they knew...

"I'm waiting!" she sang, trying to roll onto her side. It proved to be harder than she thought since she didn't have the use of her arms. She nearly rolled off the table when she tried to rely on body strength alone. She just manage to stop herself before tumbling onto the floor.

"Look! You already know there isn't much to tell, so I suggest that if you want the juicy stuff you just roll over to Rose and Heidi!" I huffed.

"So," she said tentatively, unimpressed by my remarks, "from what I gather you're not getting any and you're not too happy about that. Which means Edward is holding out on you. I bet he even has some perfectly logical and endearing explanation for it."

My mouth fell open. Alice should have been a private detective instead of a personal shopper!

"How did you know that?" I stammered.

"Come on, Bella!" she sad impatiently and I could imagine her rolling her eyes. "I know my brother and frankly you're not that hard to read either."

"Oh," I replied. Could this get any more embarrassing?

"You really need my help" she stated.

"Why?"

"To seduce my brother, silly," she grinned.

I knew that underneath the layers of chocolate my body must be a vibrant red.

"Wouldn't that be a little odd?" I asked.

"Why?" she replied, obviously unaware of how she giving me tips to enhance my sex life with her brother would we weird.

"You know...you giving me tips on how to get your brother to have sex with me?" I explained.

"Silly Bella," she chuckled. "My brother has been acting like an emotionally unavailable grouchy ass for the last five years. I'd do anything to make him happy again, even get him laid!"

"I'm sure the dedication you feel towards your brother is very touching, if not a little scary," I replied sarcastically.

"Wat made you guys hold off on the sex anyway?" she asked. "I mean, since you've both spend the last five years pining for each other I think I can safely assume that the sex was good the first time around."

"Mindblowing," I said without thinking. Oh my God! Did I just admit that? The chocolate fumes most have gotten to my head.

"So, do you want him to cave?" she giggled.

"No," I sighed, reluctantly. I told Alice about our decision to enforce the three date rule and explained my suspicions about why it was taking us so long to get to three dates.

"I think you may be right," Alice nodded. " Basically my brother thinks his penis is a force of evil."

I snorted. that sounded like the Edward I knew and loved!

"When he went off to college Edward went on a total bender for a few years," she continued. "In the end mom had to go over to him to talk some sense into him. He's been feeling guilty for it ever since, trying to compensate for his former wicked ways by being a perfect gentleman all the time. He pretty much went from man-whore to saint bloody Edward in a matter of days! I think what happened in Florida and you disappearing on him the morning after really made him feel like he had let himself down. Like he had fallen off the wagon."

"I wish he would tell me how he's feeling," I sighed.

"Bella!," Alice laughed. "Guy's don't talk about their feelings like girls do and Edward's such a total guy at that. He's always kept everything bottled up. The best thing you could do is just force it out of him. Make him sit down and talk to you."

"I don't know about that, Alice." I replied. I didn't want to make Edward feel uncomfortable.

"He owes you an explanation Bella!" Alice yelled. "If you are ever going to be in a proper equal relationship with him you are going to have to learn to make him share his feelings with you. Whether he wants to or not!"

She was right. Edward and I had talked a lot over the last few weeks but never about how we had really felt during the last five years. Every time I asked him about that he would quickly change the subject. I knew he wasn't ready to share that with me just yet. I just had to be patience. But his hesitance made me feel insecure, like his keeping his distance emotionally meant that he wanted to keep his distance in other area's as well. The three date rule had only added to those fears.

I didn't get much time to ponder Alice's words. Soon enough the two women came back into the room to unwrap us and help us get cleaned up. We met back with Rose and Heidi to all get our massages together.

Though being wrapped in chocolate had been heavenly, the massage had soon become my favorite part of the day. The feeling of a pair of hands carefully kneeing the stress and pent up frustration out of my body was such a good feeling I had to bite back the moans and judging from the sounds Rose, Alice and Heidi were making they were pretty much of the same mind.

We had a late lunch after that before having an hour to ourselves to enjoy the sauna and bubble baths. After that we got a body scrub, which was painful but made my body feel all soft and cuddly and the much dreaded wax job. A mani and pedi completed the pampering session and before we knew we were standing outside again, walking back to our cars.

I was deep in thought about how to ask Edward to share his feelings with me so I didn't notice the lamppost until it was too late. I felt my head bounce against the metal just before I fell to the floor.

The first thing I heard when I regained consciousness was Rose yelling at some unsuspecting bystander to get the hell away from us.

"Look, there's no reason to call an ambulance. We've got it covered!" she screamed.

"But?"

"The only thing your butt is going to do is get the hell away from us.,"she huffed.

I groaned as Alice and Heidi helped me up and ushered me into the car park.

"I think we should take her to hospital," I heard Rose say. "Emmett always takes her to hospital when she's lost consciousness."

I felt Alice's body shake as she nodded. "It's probably best that we do. Edward is going to freak if he finds out we just took her home. We should probably get her wrist checked out as well."

As the pain increased I felt the haze slowly lift from my brain.

"Who's going to take her?" Rose asked a little hint of impatience slipping into her voice. I thought she just wanted to get back to Charlie.

"I'll take her," Alice chuckled, gently towing me over to a flashy yellow Porsche parked in a corner of the garage. "I know my way around the hospital and my car is faster anyway."

"That's your car?" I manage to yell in spite of the pain.

"What? You didn't expect pretty little me to serve the rich and famous in some plain old hatchback did you?" she grinned.

"I could probably pay a years rent with the cost of that car!" I said, shaking my head.

"Then I should probably warn Edward before he takes out his 'special occasion' car," Alice replied.

"The what?"

"Oh, he has the Volvo for every day use and he's anal enough about that car," she said, rolling her eyes, "but he also has a very flashy car stashed in some dark neglected corner of the garage which he only uses on special occasions. So far he's only used it once...when my mom came over to visit and he took her to the Tavern on the Green."

Right! I reminded myself. These people are rich. They don't care about spending more money in food than an average inhabitant of a Third World country will earn in a few years.

When Alice deftly ushered her car through traffic, driving at break neck speed when she had the chance, I was suddenly very glad about that – even though the guilt never quite went away. My wrist had started to throb painfully and I was still feeling a bit fuzzy from the fall. I feared I might have a mild concussion.

We pulled up to the hospital in no time and I wasn't the least bit surprised that she'd taken me across town to New York Presbyterian, where Edward worked.

She quickly parked the car and awkwardly supported my still limp body as we walked into the ER. We were given some paperwork to fill out and told that a doctor would see us as soon as possible. I had been in hospitals enough to know that meant that we would be here for a while.

As Alice was filling out the paperwork for me – I couldn't write since I had hurt my right hand - we overheard some of the female staff gossiping about the hot doctors that worked there. Some of them seemed convinced that a doctor called Garrett O'Shea was the next best thing since sliced bread, that was if only he would ditch his bitch girlfriend who happened to be a doctor as well.

"I don't know about doctor O'Shea," one of them said, "but I sure would like to sink my teeth into that doctor Cullen. Screw McDreamy and McSteamy, that guy is really hot!"

I couldn't help but grin as I heard them talking about my Edward. The jealous side of me wanted to bite their heads off and feed them to the worms but there was also a very prominent part of me that just wanted to start dancing around in front of them singing 'he's all mine, he's all mine, Edward Cullen is all mine!' just to rub it in.

"Oh yeah," another woman replied. "I bet he's very _talented_ in the sack department. I got a glimpse at the goods when he was in the changing room a few weeks ago and all I can say is that I'd be willing to do just about everything to snap that one up!"

I gripped the edge of the desk with my good hand while a fresh wave of jealousy washed over me. Screw doing the happy dance. That woman was going to DIE!

Alice winked at me before clearing her throat to get their attention. "Excuse me?"

"Yes," one of them said, a little annoyed.

"I have it on good authority that doctor Cullen is - in fact - taken."

"And who the hell might you be?" the woman asked, pulling her eyebrows up sarcastically.

"I'm Alice Cullen," Alice said in a mock peppy tone sticking out her hand. "Doctor Cullen's sister, and this woman over here," she said, waving at me, "Is his girlfriend and the mother of his child. So she's the only one my brother will be making hot passionate love to."

The women just stared at her, some of them with their mouths open. I started to feel sorry for them. I knew first hand what it was like to find the full force of the scary pixie against you. Alice however had no such qualms and decided to go in for the kill.

"Well, that is...I assume you mean doctor _Edward_ Cullen, since my father is also a surgeon and Bella here sure as hell isn't screwing him," Alice smirked. "That is...unless she likes to keep it in the family!" she added, winking at me.

The women were perfectly satisfied with that answer and remained silent while Alice finished up the paperwork. We went to wait in the designated waiting area after that. I was still a little baffled by Alice's little display. I'd never thought I'd meet a woman who could give Rose a run for her money but apparently I just did.

Alice started to shuffle on her seat impatiently after we'd been sitting there for not much more than ten minutes.

"Alice, relax! It will probably be a while before someone comes to see us," I tried to soothe her.

"Not if I can help it," she said, before flipping open her phone.

"You're going to call Edward, aren't you?" I gasped. I was sure Edward would freak if he saw me like this. I knew that as soon as he realized I had been hurt he'd start acting like I was made of bone China around me, effectively setting us back at least a week in the three date scheme.

"What do you think Edward would do if he found you with your wrist in a brace tomorrow morning?" she asked, as she waited for Edward to pick up. She grumbled something unintelligible when the call got directed to voice mail and left a message.

"Since you're too busy saving lives and being important to pick up your bloody phone right now I think you should know that Bella is in the ER right now with a sprained wrists and a possible concussion. Get your ass over there as soon as you get this message. Love Ya!" She yelled into her phone before breaking the connection.

"Erm, Alice?"

"Yes?" she purred.

"Don't you think Edward is going to freak when he hears your message?"

"Silly Bella!," Alice sang, gently patting my head. "That's exactly what I was aiming for."

"Why?" It might be that my brain wasn't functioning properly because of the fall, but in my book torture was still something to be frowned upon.

"I just want to see how fast he can run," Alice shrugged, flipping through her phone and dialing another number.

"Katie!" she yelled. "Thank God you're not in surgery!"

I couldn't hear what the other person was saying.

"Anyways," Alice said after talking for a while. "We're actually at the hospital right now. Edwards girlfriend fell down and she needs to be checked out. Do you think you could do it? I'm tired of sitting here waiting."

I could hear the other person laughing before she replied.

"Thats great!" Alice squealed. "We'll see you in a few."

After she flipped her phone shut and put it back in her purse she turned to me. "Kate, one of Edwards friends, is coming down in a few to check you out. She was actually supposed to be here anyway but she sneaked off to have some quality time with Garrett, her boyfriend."

"Ah, so they were the other ones those skanks at the admittance desk were gossiping about?" I asked.

"Yup. I think they call them McSteamy and McBitchy over here," Alice grinned. "I've heard some of the women – nurses, doctors, candystripers and patients alike – practically threw themselves at Garrett and Edward when they first arrived here. Of course Kate would have none of that, hence the nickname."

Right at that moment a beautiful woman sashayed into the waiting room, holding a chart in her hands.

"Ali!" she yelled. "It's been so long!"

Alice hoisted me back onto my feet and quickly moved towards Kate.

"Bella Swan, Kate Denali," she quickly introduced us.

"So you are the woman that has Edward Cullen skipping around like his hills are alive to the sound of music for the last few weeks," Kate smirked.

I snorted as the image of Edward skipping downhill in a field of daisies floated into my head. Judging by Alice's giggling she had the same thought.

"Guilty as charged," I laughed.

"Well. At least it is a nice change from his usual 'I hate myself and want to die' behavior," she shrugged.

I took in a huge breath. The fact that Edward had felt the pain of our separation as much as I had still broke my heart. We had wasted so much time. Years in which we could have been together.

Kate motioned for me to follow her into an empty examination room, earning a few glares from other doctors.

"They don't like us, flashy, brilliant surgeons, fishing in their pond," she explained. "I'm not actually supposed to do this. Usually I have to sit around and wait for them to call me."

I hopped onto the bed and got as comfortable as I could I had done this so many times I could probably do the examination myself.

"Okay, so now that we are properly introduced I have to go ask you the most overused question in the medical vocabulary," she started.

I scrunched up an eyebrow.

"What appears to be the problem?" she smirked.

I laughed. "Yeah, it's not like I haven't heard that one before!"

"Fall down a lot, do you?" Kate questioned, as she started her examination.

I nodded, wincing as she touched my wrist.

"I think you got off rather lucky," she stated as she finished her assessment. "You don't appear to have a concussion and your wrist is only lightly sprained. You don't need an MRI. Just keep it on ice and try not to use it and you should be okay in a little while."

**--**

**EPOV**

**--**

I was closing up the chest of a patient who had just received a new heart. Now that the most interesting part – the actual transplant – was done and the surgeons and attending residing over the procedure had left I could let my thoughts wander. The OR was nearly empty except for a few nurses monitoring the patient and me of course.

Stitching someone up was like a second nature. I had practiced it so much. First on a dummy, then on a pigs foot and finally – before I had been allowed near an actual patient – on a corpse. I had perfected my technique over the years – making my work perfectly even and the stitches as close as they could get – and now I could have done it with my eyes closed.

As I worked diligently on completing my task I let my eyes wander to the clock above the door for the umpteenth time that day. Only ten more hours to go.

I'd been on pins and needles all day, ever since Alice called me earlier to say she was going to the Spa with Bella and Rosalie. I knew Alice had fallen in love with both Bella and Libby and would never consciously do anything to hurt them, but she also knew things about me.

Things about my past.

Things I didn't want Bella to know just yet.

Things I wanted to tell her myself.

I knew we would have to talk before our third date. We'd talked a little about the more seedy aspects of my past five years ago but I had never truly explained to her what happened and how those events affected me.

I knew she suspected something - Libby didn't get her unusual perceptiveness from me – but she had kept silent about it, allowing me to open up to her when I was ready. Sometimes I was scared that she thought my reservations about taking our relationship to the next level had something to do with her. That I didn't want her that way.

I chuckled to myself when I thought about that, earning strange looks from the nurses in the OR. Silly Bella! If only she knew how much I wanted her. How just seeing her took my breath away. The times spend at her place were such a sweet torture to me. We'd just watch TV or sit and talk - avoiding all difficult subjects - when all I wanted do do was throw her over the shoulder, drag her to the bedroom and ravish her over and over again. But that was part of the problem.

I would have to open up and come clean with her. When I would finally make love to Bella I didn't want any lingering fear or doubt to mar that. It had to be perfect.

She deserved that,

I deserved that.

She would have to let go of some of her fears and worries as well. I knew I'd kept things from her and I knew she thought that was because I wanted to keep some distance between us, but she had done the same thing.

She had never really talked to me about how she could have believed I wasn't interested in her five years ago so quickly. It was almost like she had expected to end up heartbroken, like she was still expecting it to turn out that way. Not telling Libby about me being her father was part of that. She didn't want Libby to end up getting hurt when I left them again. It broke my heart. Had I not told her I loved her over and over again? Had I not showed her enough how unworthy I was of her? How I worshiped the ground she walked on?

Still, she kept her distance.

Still she was afraid to let me in completely.

We would have to talk – close the gaping hole between us – and it scared me to death.

All I wanted was to be with Bella and Libby. For us to live together. To wake up next to Bella every day for the rest of my life. Spend my free time playing with Libby, being a father to her.

I could see it all before me. A nice house with a garden, a large kitchen so Bella would have more room to work her magic, a big study or even a library so I could prep for my surgeries at home and Bella would have enough room to work as well, enough bedrooms so our family could grow in time. Hell, I'd even throw in a golden retriever just to complete the picture, even though I hated dogs.

I knew the prospect would have been daunting, terrifying for most men. They would have had a heart attack when a prefab family was thrown into their laps. Moving in with a woman to them was like admitting tour life was over.

Not me. I couldn't wait for that to happen and the thought that I would be able to have all of that soon had me grinning like an idiot.

For as long as I could remember I had always wanted a family. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that my own mom and dad had died before I had a chance to really get to know them. Even though Carlisle and Esme had provided me with all the love and comfort in the world and had always raised me as one of their own they had never been able to truly erase the longing and sense of loss that was perpetually gnawing at the back of my head.

For the first time in my life I felt I had the power to erase those feelings. Like I could make up for the time that was stolen from my parents and me by having a family of my own. It made me feel so light, almost giddy.

I knew others had noticed my uncharacteristic cheerfulness. Kate had had her eyebrows scrunched up in wonder almost every time she and I talked nowadays and Garrett had started to make jokes about how no man would never have to visit a shrink if only he could get himself laid properly.

If only they knew...

When I was done I went over to the locker room to clean up and change into a fresh pair of scrubs. Only nine more hours to go before I was allowed a ten hour break to catch some sleep. I hated working the weekend shift because it robbed me of the time I got to spend with Libby. Most of the times she was in bed when I made it over to Bella's and I missed her terribly.

I checked my phone before going back to the floor. One missed call and one new message, both from Alice. What was she up to?

"_Since you're too busy saving lives and being important to pick up your bloody phone right now I think you should know that Bella is in the ER right now with a sprained wrists and a possible concussion. Get your ass over there as soon as you get this message. Love Ya!" _

I froze when I listened to Alice's voice. Damn! Why did I have to be in surgery when Bella needed me?

I grabbed my pager and started running downstairs, not bothering to wait for the elevator. It was too damn slow anyways. I wasn't comforted by the fact that Alice had taken Bella to the ER to get her checked up in the least, knowing how understaffed the place was. They just about hired anyone who didn't start frothing at the mouth during their interview. Hell, they'd even hire that pretty boy from _Full House_ if he showed up and flashed them his winning smile! If those idiots in the ER screwed up with my Bella a malpractice suit would be the least of their worries.

I got down to the ER and quickly scanned the board to find out they had already put Bella in an exam room. When I sped down the corridor I could hear some of the staff complaining about how the 'evil stick figure who had no soul' had marched in and hijacked their case.

Good. At least Alice had had the good sense to call Kate!

I rushed into the room, almost knocking my sister off her feet in my hurry to be by Bella's side.

"Are you alright?" I panted, looking at Kate.

"I'm fine, Edward," my angel smiled.

She looked far from fine though. There was no color in her face and she seemed a little dazed. Her wrist was wrapped in an icepack and appeared to be all red and swollen.

"Kate doesn't think there's anything major wrong with me. Just a slight sprain and a little headache," she explained.

Little headache my ass!

"Did you get her an MRI?" I asked Kate.

"I don't think it's necessary," Kate sighed, probably in anticipation of my reaction. She knew me too well.

"Not necessary?" My words came out as a snarl. "Why the hell is it not necessary. Did you even take a good look at her?"

"Really Edward," Kate scolded. "I don't think you're the best judge of that. She seems to be doing fine."

I was just gearing up for my reply when Bella placed her good hand on my wrist.

"Edward, I know you're worried about me but I'm fine, I really am," she spoke in a calm voice. It remembered me of how she reasoned with Libby when our daughter was being stubborn.

"But what if we missed something?" I objected.

"I'll be perfectly fine after I've had some rest. I fall down a lot, remember?" she laughed. "I've had just as much experience assessing my mental condition after a fall as most doctors have and I can assure you there's nothing wrong with me."

"But..." I realized I was fighting a lost battle, but I couldn't accept defeat just yet.

"Please Edward?" she pleaded, looking at me with her big brown eyes.

I sighed. How could I resist her when she was acting like that?

"Fine then, but I don't want you to go home on your own," I grumbled.

"I'll take her!" Alice chirped. I had totally forgotten about my sister. "I can stay over until your shift ends?"

I nodded. I knew my sister would take great care of Bella.

"Can any of you tell me what happened?" I asked.

Bella blushed as Alice started to giggle.

"You should have seen it Edward!" she giggled, her eyes shining with humor. "It was just like in a cartoon! Bella forgot to look where she was going, she was obviously thinking about something...pleasant," she winked at Bella who turned even redder. I made a mental not to ask her what she had been thinking of. "She ran into a lamppost, bounced back and dropped to the floor like a sack of potato. It was so funny!"

I glared at my sister. She was lucky Bella didn't seem to have sustained any permanent damage, but I needed to sit down and have a good talk with my sister about what was funny and what wasn't in the near future.

Kate cleared her to leave after that and she and Alice left to give us some privacy.

"I'm sorry I can't be there for you," I sighed, pulling Bella to my chest.

One of her tiny hands took hold of my chin, forcing me to look at her. "Don't blame yourself for what happened," she sighed and I could see a flash of pain in her eyes that had nothing to do with her injuries. "You had nothing to do with me getting hurt and I'm going to be fine so stop worrying."

I tried to be more cheerful for her as I helped her down from the bed and kissed her goodbye. I still felt terrible about not being available when she needed me, but for now I was mostly relieved that she was going to be okay.

I left some instructions for Alice before making my way up to the surgical floor again with lead in my shoes.

Only eight more hours to go...

**-- **

**BPOV**

**--**

About an hour later I was tucked up in bed, huffing with frustration. Alice had taken her 'job' as my personal nurse very serious and had shipped me off to bed as soon as she had finished getting Libby ready for the night. She could be pretty scary when she was determined and she was way stronger than she looked. In the end she had manhandled me into my bed and would probably have undressed me too if I hadn't insisted on doing that myself.

It was still night, maybe early in the morning when I woke up to feel the mattress sag.

"Edward?" I asked, prying my eyes open.

He answered me with a tender kiss.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked, after I reluctantly released his lips.

"Not as much as before," I replied. I had done what the doctor ordered, keeping an ice pack on my wrist all night.

He quickly checked my wrist, kissing it softly before covering it in ice again and wrapping me up in his arms.

I sighed in contentment, resting my head on his chest. "Will you stay?" I asked, not wanting to let go of my comfortable pillow. "I promise I'll be good."

"I have no doubt you will be..." he chuckled. "In fact I seem to remember you were _very_ good."

What the hell was that supposed to mean. Was he deliberately trying to drive me mad? Did he want to abandon the three date rule? I pulled up my face so that I could look at him but couldn't read his face in the dark.

"I'll stay, if you want me to," he said, placing a kiss on top of my head.

I whimpered at the loss of his touch as he moved to get up. "What? I need to get changed, or do you expect me to sleep in my clothes," he grinned.

He took a quick shower before crawling back into bed with me, dressed in nothing but his boxers. I instantly regretted my promise to behave. The sight of Edward in his current state of undress, the moonlight reflecting of his perfect chest, was giving me all sorts of ideas...

He pulled me back into his arms and I placed my head back on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.

"Good night, my love," he crooned in my ear as his fingers lightly brushed my back.

"Good night Edward," I muttered, half asleep already.

_**So, another snippet of Edwards POV. You might have noticed we're gearing up for 'the talk' which will be in the next chapter, as will the meeting between Emmett and Edward.**_

_**Please review, it makes me write faster...**_


	17. What's with these homies dissin' my boy?

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**What's with these homies dissin' my boy? (some lemony goodness ahead)**

On Wednesday that next week Zafrina, Jasper and I found ourselves in the office of Aro Volturi, wondering what the hell we were doing there. I didn't have a run in with Jane or Alec – though Alec kept on pestering me – an neither had the other two.

"Do you think Aro is a member of the the Mafia and wants us to execute a hit job?" Zafrina wondered.

We both looked at her in wonder. Zafrina's brain could be a strange place sometimes.

"Have you been sniffing paint again?" Jasper laughed. "I'm sure if Aro was a wiseguy he'd hire much more accomplished killers than the three of us!"

"We would have the element of surprise……" I mused. The idea was ridiculous of course, but thinking about it would at least take my mind of what Aro had to say for a little while.

"Yeah, great element that is," Jasper snorted. 'Two women shaking in their boots and a guy who doesn't even know which end of the gun to hold!"

"I'm not scared and I can hold a gun just fine, thank you very much," Zafrina huffed. "I'm sure I would have made an excellent hit man...or woman."

"You?" Jasper mocked. "The victim would smell you creeping up on him from a mile's distance!"

Zafrina exuded a rather penetrating smell of paint, paint thinner and a lot of other stuff she used in her art classes and her studio.

"And do you think you'd do a better job?" Zafrina sneered.

"Of course I do!" Jasper yelled. He was being dangerously self confident around Zafrina. "I'm a man! We know all about those kind of things! Plus, I've done some extensive reading about warfare and executions."

Dear Lord. He'd dug his own grave. If he wasn't being a male chauvinist pig right now I'd almost feel sorry for him. What was it about men and their penises anyway?

"Let me get this straight," Zafrina started. "Just because you've grown yourself some balls – though God knows you hardly ever use them - and you've read a few books on how to kill someone you think you would make a better killer than me, the woman who has worked as a taxidermist for three years?"

Luckily Aro chose that moment to enter the room, thus preventing Zafrina form putting her skills to use.

"Ah! You're here! Wonderful" he exclaimed, ignoring the heated faces in front of them. Aro always laid it on thick. I mean, was he really doubting the fact that we came running when he called for us?

"You may be wondering why I called the three of you into my office…." He continued, fidgeting with a pen. For a moment I was wondering if Zafrina had been right about why we were here. He looked like he was just about to make us an offer we couldn't refuse...

"As you know the school has a tradition of organising a foreign excursion for students..." he started.

We all nodded. The foreign excursion was a hot topic in the staff room. Almost everyone wanted to be picked to organise it since it meant those happy few would get a free trip abroad with a handful of students and get paid overtime for it as well!

Since most of the parents of our students were filthy rich, money wasn't really an object. The parents most of the time saw it as a good opportunity for their precious offspring to see something of the world and learn about new cultures and their history. Plus, since the trip coincided with Spring Break, it saved them the hassle of finding some form of entertainment for their kids while they were off earning more money and having lunch with their jet set friends..

Last year Jasper and Zafrina had been involved to the trip to Mexico to study the ancient Aztec excavations. The trip had resulted in the students writing a paper on the conquistadores and doing and creating a piece of art that had been influenced by the Aztec remains.

"Due to demand from the parents it was decided that this year's excursion will go to London and since your subjects will probably be heavily featured in the excursion, I would like for the three of you to organise it." He continued.

I let out a big sigh. It would be a great opportunity for me, since I had never been outside the US. I had always wanted to see London and study the country that had brought forth so many of my literary heroes. But what about Libby?

I noticed Jasper, Zafrina and Aro staring intently at me. They were waiting for me to speak.

"I don't know," I said. "Not that I don't want to do it, in fact I would really like to organise the excursion this year, but I also have obligations towards my family and I have to discuss this with them first."

"What if I gave you a week to consider it and we meet again same time next week?" Aro asked. It was clear he wasn't suspecting any trouble from Zafrina and Jasper.

"Sure," I sighed, while I added yet another hot topic to the list of things to be discussed with Edward this weekend.

"So, do you think you are going to be able to do it?" Jasper asked when we were back in the corridor.

"I don't know," I said truthfully. "I really want to but you know I really hate leaving Libby alone, even for a week, and I really don't like dumping the kid on Edward or Emmett."

"Edward is her father, Bella," Zafrina said, placing her hand on my arm. "I'm sure he would love to take care of her."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that," I replied. "But he's also a resident at a hospital which means he has to work twelve to thirty-six hour shifts and I can't just ask him to take a week off because I want to go on a field trip."

Jasper and Zafrina nodded. "We would really like you to come with us, but don't feel too guilty if you can't," Jasper said, noticing how torn I was between the two options. "Tough you might have to take into account the emotional damage I would sustain if you condemned me to spending a week with the Irish woman."

I laughed. Siobhan Connelly – my fellow English teacher, and of Irish descent - was a woman of immense presence in more ways than one and ever since she had set her cap at Jasper, even though the guy most have been young enough to be her son, his life had become much more difficult.

"I'll discuss it with Edward this weekend and we'll see if we can work something out," I sighed.

"Looks like you'll be doing a lot of discussing this weekend!" Jasper laughed.

I had told him about my impending talk with Edward because I wanted advise from him. I knew I couldn't just demand to know what Edward was thinking. I had to go about it with velvet gloves and I needed a guys advice on how to do it. Asking Emmett was out of the question. My brother might be a rock of reliability, he wasn't the one to get 'all touchy and feely' as he said it himself.

"Don't I know it!" I said, rolling my eyes. "I swear, if Edward still wants to be with me after this weekend I might just end up marrying him!"

"I thought you were anti- marriage?" Zafrina asked. "Since when did you cross over to the dark side?"

I laughed. "I never said I was anti-marriage to Edward. Just anti-marriage in general."

Zafrina looked at me sceptically.

"I'm surprised you're even asking," I laughed, walking into my classroom. "I mean, you've seen him."

--

I stood in my kitchen, mentally preparing myself for the impending talk. Edward had called in a few favours so that he could have dinner with me before we went to the bar.

Libby was already at Bree's for a sleepover. This afternoon I had had the distinct feeling that Libby knew Edward and I were more than just friends. When I had dropped her off she had asked me if Edward and I were going to pick her up tomorrow. As much as I liked the swiftness with which she had accepted Edward in her life it made me feel a little frightened and – if I were completely honest with myself – jealous.

The fear was easy to explain. It was the same kind of fear I felt about myself. Had I been too fast to let Edward back in my life? Was I playing Russian Roulette with my daughters happiness by letting her get attached to him?

Deep down inside I felt Edward and I were meant to be, that he wasn't going anywhere. But the fact that he still kept me at arms length when his feelings were concerned didn't do my insecurities much good.

The jealousy was a little harder to accept. For five years now I had longed for Libby to have her father in her life and now that he was here I was acting all childish because I was afraid she was going to like him better than me. What was I? Five years old?

Dinner passed in an almost awkward silence. Sure, we exchanged the usual questions about work and Libby, but I think Edward knew there was something on my mind, like I knew there was something on his mind as well.

"Edward, we need to talk," I started as we sat down on the couch after doing the dishes.

I saw him stiffen before looking up at me and nodding. He looked so serious.

"What do you want to talk about Bella?" he asked wearily. He must have been thinking there was something wrong.

"There's nothing wrong. It just...there's something I would like to talk to you about..." I stammered.

I saw him relax at my words, his eyes encouraging me to continue.

"It's just...I think...Argh!" Why did I always have so much trouble finding my words at difficult times? It's not like I hadn't practised this over and over again last week! Damn it!

I took a deep breath. "What I'm trying to say is that we need to address the elephant in the room Edward," I blurted out.

He looked at me and sighed. "You're right."

"We've been together for a few weeks now but we've never really talked about what drove us apart in the first place and I kind of get the feeling you're holding back on me."

He didn't say anything but the way he avoided my eyes and looked at his hands said it all.

"You don't have to say anything, Edward. But it's just...I have a feeling you're blaming yourself for what happened as much as I am blaming myself and I don't want this to hang over us like a sword of Damocles," I said.

"You don't have anything to blame yourself with..." he started, before I cut him off.

"Edward, please don't! This isn't about being right or wrong. This is about how we feel," I said. It was like a cesspit of pent up frustrations and emotions had opened up and that - combined with my nerves - had me nearing hysterics at the moment. It made me feel desperate. I wanted to sit down and have a serious, grown-up conversation with the man I loved, not break down crying like some hysterical little schoolgirl.

"I know I'm being such a girl by wanting to talk about feelings, but I can't stand being silent for much longer, not with all these unspoken words and feelings festering between us. It's driving me insane! I love you and I'm ready to give you all of me, but you have to let me in!"

He sighed, still not looking at me.

"I want to, Bella. You don't know how much I want to. But I'm scared that if you look too deep into my soul you're going to see just what an ugly place that is and run," he said softly.

"I'm not going anywhere," I stated, trying to put every bit of confidence I had in my voice. I moved onto his lap, straddling his waist while my hands cupped his face, forcing him to look at me.

Our eyes locked and remained that way for what seemed like forever. We were both seeking something in the other. Confirmation. Comfort.

"I believe you," he said after a while, his eyes still scorching into my soul. I knew he trusted me enough to open up. I saw it in his eyes. They had somehow become different. The brilliant green seemed so much deeper now.

"Do you remember what I told you about my first years at college?" he asked after a while.

I nodded. I remembered it all too well. It had been one of the things that had convinced me he didn't care for me.

"When Esme talked to me I felt so ashamed. It was like for the first time I saw myself for what I truly was and what I saw was a monster. A parasite. Someone who took advantage of other people. Who sucked the happiness out of them in order to gratify his own fleeting gratification, just so that he didn't have to think about his own troubles. I promised myself to prove that I was a better person than that."

He sighed as his face took on an even more pained expression.

"For a moment I really thought I could do it. That in time I could make amends. When I first met you...you were like the light at the end of the tunnel. For the first time in years I felt hope again. But then...after you left all hope was gone and I realized that even though I might try to behave like a gentleman I would always be a monster. Even though I have found you again - through some kind of strange karmic glitch - part of me will always feel like that."

"Edward," I said, tears forming in my eyes. "Even thought you might think you are, I would never think you are a monster."

He snorted and tried to look away.

"Edward, listen to me. You and Libby are my everything. The two halves of my heart. I have lived without one of those halves for so long I thought I would never feel whole again. But then you came back into my life again and it felt...amazing. There are no words to describe my happiness right now and it's all because of you. You. Are. Not. A. Monster."

For the first time since we had started talking he really looked at me. The vulnerability in his eyes melted my heart even further. Tonight he had given me his soul. For the first time since we got back together he had let his shield down and at this moment it felt like we were more intimate than any amount of sex could ever add up to.

I let my fingers trace the contours of his face as we stared into each others eyes. No words needed to be spoken right now.

After a while he leaned in and kissed me. It was different than all of the other kisses we had shared over the last few weeks. There had been urgent, passionate kisses and slow and tender ones but this one was a strange kind of combination of the two. It was soft and tender but it burned me on the the inside like molten lava.

After we broke apart I leaned my forehead against his, trying to get my breathing back to normal so that I could ask the other question that had been weighing on my mind for the last few weeks.

"Edward," I started, "Why weren't you angry at me for keeping Libby a secret?"

"When you told me about Libby all I could feel was a staggering sense of guilt. If I had been a good person I would have persisted in trying to talk to you instead of wallowing in self pity. As it was I hid away from the world and let you deal with everything on you own. It confirmed how I felt about myself. Only a monster would walk away from his own family like that."

"That's not how I felt it," I stated. "Don't you see? It is I who should be guilty. You may not have contacted me, but the same thing goes for me and – to be honest – I had a much more pressing obligation to talk to you."

"Why didn't you?" he asked. There was no accusation in his voice, only wonder.

"At first I didn't want to bother you. I thought you didn't want me, that I had misinterpreted the time we had spend together," I said, my voice fading to a whisper. "I didn't want to bother you with all of my drama. I didn't want you to get sucked into something you didn't want to be a part of in the first place."

"How could you think that!" he cried. "Didn't you feel the sparks igniting between us every time we touched? Did I not show you over and over again how much I loved and worshipped you?"

"I felt it," I said. "I just thought I was the only one who felt it. That I was just one of the many women you dated. And as for the rest...I wasn't exactly the most experienced woman back then. I thought I'd just been naïve in thinking I had found my soul mate on a beach filled with vomiting college kids. And then there was the obvious gap between us..."

"The what?" He seemed at a loss as to what it was.

"You're rich and I'm...not," I explained.

"What the hell does that have to do with us falling in love?" he asked.

"I felt like I didn't deserve you. I still do," I said, silencing Edward before he could interrupt me. "We grew up in different worlds and I just...never thought that could work. That you would wake up some day and realize that you deserved someone better than me. Someone more like you. When you never called me I thought that was what had happened."

"If there is someone who is undeserving of the other it is me," Edward whispered, looking away from me again.

"I didn't tell you this to make you feel bad. I told you this to show you that I was wrong. I placed my own fear and pain above all else when I shouldn't have. You had a right to know, and I always thought that if you found out you would hate me forever," I replied.

"I could never hate you," he said, his serious expressing adding strength to his statement.

"Aren't we a sorry pair," I smiled ruefully. The angel and the monster, fighting over who was the angel and who was the monster.

He laughed. "I guess we were meant to be after all!"

"Edward?" I asked, after we had sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Everything just clicked right then. The pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place. All but one...

"Yes, my love?" He seemed so much lighter now, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"I want you to be a father to Libby," I said, my voice breaking with emotion. "I want Libby to know."

His lips crashed to mine almost before I could finish my sentence. His tongue brushed across my bottom lip, asking for a permission which I was all to eager to grant. As our kiss grew ever deeper he leaned us back onto to sofa, placing some of his weight on me. It felt like heaven.

All to soon we had to break for air. As I tried to catch my breath again I glanced at his face. He was so happy his face was almost glowing with joy and love. He had never looked more like an angel than he did that very moment.

"Then we will tell her," he said. "After our third date."

"Huh?" I asked surprised. "I would have thought you couldn't wait to tell her! I half expected you to rush over to Bree's to tell her tonight."

"I want to tell Libby, believe me I really want to," he explained. "But there's one thing I want to do even more. I want to make you mine, for us to be a unity before we become a trinity."

I blushed. Knowing exactly what that was.

"We will have out third date soon. Next week. And after that we will tell Libby together," he added.

I leaned back against his forehead and closed my eyes, content to be in Edwards arms for as long as I could. I knew that was only a short time since we were already late for the second part of the evening I was eager to be over and done with: Edward meeting Emmett.

--

FLASHBACK

--

"Emmett?" I asked my brother in a tiny voice.

"Yes squirt?" he replied without ever taking his eyes off the television screen.

"I have something to tell you and I want you to be calm about it," I said.

I had his attention now. He switched off the sound before turning his bulky frame towards me.

"What is it Bells?" he asked wearily.

"You know I've met someone, right?" I started.

"Yes," he grumbled. He hadn't been too happy about that little piece of information. Little did he know...

"Well..." I was searching for words that wouldn't send him into irritated grizzly mode. "What I didn't say was that I kind of knew that person already..."

"What!" he yelled excitedly. "You and Jake got back together again?"

Emmett had been as great a fan of the idea of Jacob and me getting together as my dad had.

"No, Em," I said, watching my brother's face go from happy to sad in less than a second. "It's not Jake I'm seeing."

"Oh," he replied disappointed.

I watched and waited.

"OH!" He screamed, realization dawning on his face.

"Calm down Emmett, please," I pleaded.

"How could you sis?" he yelled at me, anger, disappointment and disbelieve battling on his face. "After all he did to you!"

"It was all a misunderstanding," I explained. "Lauren never gave him the note and so he never knew how I felt about him. He thought I hated him."

"Misunderstanding my ass!" Emmett yelled.

I could hear little Charlie starting to cry in the room next door, soon followed by Rose hollering all sorts of abuse at her fiancée through the thin walls.

"You have to believe me," I said. "Give me a chance to explain this. You owe me at least that!"

He huffed – his face never calming down – but motioned at me to start explaining.

"That's some story you got there, sis," he sighed, as I finished my account of the past. "I just don't know if I can forgive him yet. You must take into account that I saw what he did to you, even if it was just because of some misunderstanding."

I nodded, shuddering as the memories of that horrible time drifted into my mind again.

"All I'm asking is that you give him a fair shot at redeeming himself," I said. "Do you think you can do that?"

"Do I have a choice?" he smirked.

"Nope!" Rose stated, walking back into the room with Charlie on her arms.

"Then I guess I have to," he grumbled, still not liking the idea.

--

END OF FLASHBACK

--

I felt my nerves returning with a vengeance when we walked into O'Grady's bar. I had prepped Emmett for the impending meeting with Edward and Rose and Heidi would be there to help me, but there was no knowing how he'd react.

Edward took my hand and placed al light kiss on it. "Don't worry, it will be fine," he said, though I could hear a slight undertone of nervousness in his voice as well.

I took in a deep breath as we started walking towards the rest of the gang who were talking and laughing over in the corner.

"Hi everybody!" I croaked, feeling Edwards hand gently squeeze mine in reassurance. "This is Edward. Edward, meet the gang."

I pointed out who everyone was stopping at a scowling Emmett. I noticed how Felix had stealthily moved behind Emmett and smiled thankfully at Heidi, who beamed back at me.

"Emmett..." I warned. He'd better be nice. I didn't think Rose would appreciate being a single mom.

Emmett didn't hear me, he was still busy trying to stare down Edward, who was looking back at him calmly. As I glanced around the group I noticed that it wasn't just a two person thing. Sam and Felix were looking at the scene from a distance, their eyes scrunched into tight slits while Jasper was giving Emmett a run for his money in the scowling department.

I felt a little disappointed that Jasper had apparently joined Emmett's side. I had expected he would at least have understood that Edward wasn't going to hurt me after the amount of talking we had done.

"Is it just me or did O'Grady's turn into the OK Coral a few minutes ago?" Heidi snorted, arching one of her eyebrows.

"Losers," Rose huffed.

While we were discussing this Emmett, Jasper and Edward seemed to have launched into a re-enactment of the duelling scene from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. They just stood there, glaring at each other, their eyes tightened to slits, in some kind of sick version of 'you snooze, you loose'. They even had their hands on their hips, ready to grab their imaginary guns and start a shoot-out at any given moment. All they needed was for some idiot to start playing his mouth harp to complete the picture.

Rose seemed to have picked up on that as well.

"Who the hell do you think you are Emmett? Wyatt fucking Earp?" she sneered. "And what the hell is up with the hand-on-hip action? Did you turn into a chick overnight or are you getting ready to protect little Emmett when things get rough?"

Emmett looked like she had just kicked his puppy. Obviously he had been enjoying his manly moment of big brotherhood.

"Stay out of this Rose!" he grunted.

Oh boy...

"And why would I do that Emmett? Because I'm some kind of helpless little lady? Why don't you finally pull your head out of your own ass and start looking at the world around you!" Rose hissed.

Emmett broke his stare to look at Rose. The familiar fear and alarm starting to show on his face.

"Just watch this. It's going to be good," I whispered in Edwards ear.

"Do you really think your sister will appreciate you running around like you're some pathetic extra in High Noon? How would you act if she had looked like she wanted to club me to death when she first heard about us dating?"

"But…"

"I'll kick your butt if you don't start behaving any time soon," she yelled.

Emmett sighed in defeat, dropping his gaze to his beer. He knew better than to pick a fight with Rose.

"I guess that means welcome to the family, Edward!" Rose smirked, lifting her glass in our direction. I got the feeling she had set this whole thing up just to teach Emmett a lesson.

"So, now that we've gotten that out of the way, how about another round of beer?" Felix offered.

Everybody seemed to agree and Felix and Jasper went over to the bar to get another round of drinks. They had just left when Alice and Kate joined us.

Rose and I had invited Alice the day we had first met her and the offer had been extended to Kate when she had fixed me up at the hospital. She was only too happy to go since Garrett was working tonight and she didn't like to be alone. She had pondered about bringing her sister as well but somehow Alice had shot that suggestion down as soon as it came up. I remembered wanting to talk to the little pixie about that.

"Hi guys!" Alice waved. I quickly introduced them to everyone – minus Jasper and Felix who had gone to get our drinks – and filled her in on what they had missed.

When I had just finished telling her everything Jasper came back, placing the drinks on the table before stopping to take a look at the new arrivals. When his gaze met Alice's he froze.

Alice looked at him, an expectant look on her face. She looked more like a woman glad to see that her date for the evening had finally showed up than someone waiting to be introduced to a stranger.

Jasper just stood there, staring at her like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time.

We just stood by, gawking at them with open mouths. It was just like watching a romantic movie. All that was missing was the violins.

She hopped down from her stool and danced over to him. "You've kept me waiting a long time," she said, taking his hand.

I expected Jasper to run like hell. He was never one for relationships and clingy girls usually scared the hell out of him.

His reaction almost knocked me off my feat. He ducked his head, looking at their entwined fingers. "I'm sorry ma'am," he said, his southern accent thick in his voice.

I looked up at Edward, my mouth open in shock. "Do you know what's happening?"

He shook his head. "I've never seen her acting like this before," he replied, never taking his eyes of Jasper and Alice who were still wrapped up in their little bubble, forgetting the world around them. "This is strange, even for Alice."

"If the two of you were as nauseatingly obnoxious as those two then I can suddenly understand why that bitch Lauren never passed on the note," Rose laughed.

Almost in some sort of freaky reflex my hand swung out and slapped Rose on the cheek. When I realized what I had just done I stared from my hand to Rose's face, wondering what had gotten into me.

"Did you just bitch slap me?" Rose asked disbelievingly, rubbing her cheek. I felt Edward moving beside me, getting ready to defend me from Rose's long French manicured nails.

I nodded mutely, mentally preparing for a bitch fight.

"Finally!" she squealed, hugging me tightly. The rest of the gang – minus Jasper and Alice - was staring at her like she was mad and I'm sure my face was a perfect mirror of theirs.

"Do you know how long I've waited for you to do that?" she said. "Ever since I knew you you've been acting like a robot. Sure you portrayed the right emotions at the right time but there was never anything you really fought for. I'm just happy I finally get to see the real you!"

I scrunched up my eyebrows in confusion. "Are you trying to say you're happy I slapped you?"

"Well, no," she laughed. "You have a mean right hook. It hurts like hell and if you ever do that again I'll hit back. All I'm saying is that I'm happy you finally snapped out of your coma."

Everything settled down again after that. Edward, Kate and Alice fitting in with the group like they'd always been there. Emmett talking mostly to Felix while still shooting wary glances in our direction. I could tell he wasn't finished with Edward just yet, he was only waiting for the moment Rose and I would be distracted.

He got his moment soon enough. As Rose and I were deep in conversation about how to make a baby go to sleep I saw in my peripheral vision that Emmett had made use of our distraction by cornering Edward and they were in some kin of muted conversation right now, Emmett's face taking on that typical big brother scowl while Edward nodded seriously.

As I moved back to the table they quickly broke off their conversation.

"What's going on?" I asked, keeping a close watch on their faces.

"Nothing," they sang in unison, their voices way too innocent for them to be telling the truth.

"You were doing the big brother thing, weren't you," I scowled, prodding my finger in Emmett's chest.

"No, I wasn't, " Emmett stated in mock indignation. "Can't I have a quiet conversation with my prospective brother in law without one of you girls biting my head off?"

I looked from Emmett to Edward. "Is that really what happened?" I demanded.

Edward nodded, pulling me to his side and kissing me lightly on the cheek as if to prove his point. He wasn't fooling me though. As soon as his lips made contact with my skin I could see Emmett's scowl returning to his face, his hands clenching into fists.

"I'll get you for this, Emmett," I hissed, before returning my attention to Edward.

I got my chance for revenge sooner than I had expected. When Emmett had left to go to the toilet a waitress came by with a sign up sheet for tonight's Karaoke session. I grinned wickedly as I added Emmett's name to the list, knowing this would also be payback for the time he'd made me sing Britney Spears.

Remembering my brothers singing capabilities - which made William Shatner sound like Pavarotti – I decided to go easy on him and pick a song he actually liked.

Rose's grin when I put down the pen told me she had figured out exactly what I was going to do. We both tried very hard to keep our faces composed when Emmett returned, but I couldn't help but snicker every time the MC announced the next singer, knowing Emmett would be up next.

"Next up on the stage is Emmett Swan singing the classic Weezer song: Buddy Holly!" the MC announced, eliciting loud applause and cheers from our group.

Emmett's face was priceless. He looked like a lost little boy, his mouth hanging open in shock as he nearly dropped his beer.

"You're dead squirt!" he huffed as he stalked past me.

"Playback's a bitch ain't it, big brother," I laughed.

Even though Emmett was no great singer – hell, he even made Mike sound like Pavarotti – he had the whole bar standing on their seats by the time he got finished. I never knew someone could combine head banging and singing, though you couldn't actually call what he did singing. Blaring was more like it. He even threw in a round of air guitar for kicks.

I leaned back into Edwards chest laughing at Emmett's face when he finished. Edward, standing next to me wrapped his arms around my waist to prevent me from falling from my stool as he laughed with me as the MC shoved Emmett – who had threatened to go for round two - off the stage.

Emmett looked like a soldier returning from the battlefield as he walked back to us. When he reached our table he grabbed Rosalie, dipped her down and kissed her passionately before returning her to her barstool.

"Stupid asshole," Rose muttered, rearranging her clothes while blushing furiously.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Emmett beamed back.

"I thought she was going to slap him," Edward whispered in my ear. A shiver ran down my spine as I felt his breath on my face.

"She might have," I replied, "If Emmett's singing wouldn't have been such a turn on for her."

"She actually gets off on seeing him like that?" he asked astonished.

"I know," I smirked. "They are actually keeping it very civilized this time!"

I cringed inwardly at the memory of Emmett and Rose starting their foreplay right in front of us before Rosalie literally dragged Emmett out of the bar by his hair.

"And what, might I ask, have they been doing that wasn't so civilized," he whispered, brushing his nose against my jaw.

"I would show you, but I'm kind of afraid Emmett would kill you if I did," I chuckled.

I was glad Edward was still holding me, because if he didn't I would surely have dropped off my chair that moment since Edward – still leaning his head against mine – started kissing the skin behind my ear and lightly sucking on my earlobe.

"Then why don't we go to some place where Emmett can't see us," he purred, still lavishing attention on my skin.

"Kay," I croaked, though I was at a loss as to how I'd be able to stand on my own two feet, let alone walk out of this bar.

We said goodbye to everyone, though I didn't think Jasper and Alice heard a single word we were saying.

"She's actually starting to scare me," Edward said. "I sure hope she's careful."

"She picked a good man to fall in love with," I reassured him. I wasn't ready to go for round two on the big brother staring contest right now. "Jasper's a great guy and from what I can tell he's as much into her as she is into him."

Almost as soon as we got out of the door I grabbed Edwards hand and dragged him into a quiet side street and hungrily claimed his lips. I felt a sudden surge of confidence and brushed my tongue over his lips, he parted them almost immediately, yielding control to me. A moan escaped his lips as our tongues danced together.

"Not that I'm complaining," he panted as we finally broke apart, '" but what was that about?"

I grinned. "That's just for you being an amazing boyfriend."

He pushed me around so that my back was pressed up against the wall, my legs almost automatically wrapping around his waist. "Then I guess I just have to keep on being good," he purred, before hungrily attacking my lips again.

His hands came up from my waist and started to fondle my breasts through my clothes. He pushed himself closer to me and I could feel his arousal pressing against my core through my clothes. The sensation almost making me loose control.

"Let's get out of here," he grunted, helping me back onto my feet. "Let's go home."

I almost cried every time I heard him refer to my house as 'home' even though I knew I should probably be bothered about the fact that I still hadn't been to his place. Edward had told me some time ago that he rarely ever spend time there and that – if it wasn't for Alice who lived there with him – the place would probably still be undecorated.

We walked back to my apartment silently, stealing sideways glances at each other every now and then. I knew we were going to push a few more boundaries tonight. I needed to be close to him tonight - after everything that had been said and done - and I felt that he had that same kind of need. We may not have been willing to take that final hurdle yet, but we were coming closer and closer every day.

Edward nearly pushed me up the stairs in his impatience to get indoors and I felt myself giggling like a schoolgirl.

When we got up to my floor he pushed me against the wall and kissed me thoroughly while I fumbled in my coat pockets for my keys.

As soon as I managed to get the door opened he pulled me into the house, slammed the door shut and pushed me against it, his lips hungrily attacking mine.

I slouched against the door, hopelessly trying to keep some amount of control over my body but – alas – failing miserably. I tried to remember some of the tips Alice had given me but I couldn't even apply even the simplest one: keep breathing. If it wasn't for Edwards strong arms keeping me upright and his body pushing me against the door I would have crumbled into a swooning mess ages ago. _So much for girl power_.

He lifted me in the air and my legs instantly wrapped themselves around his waist for the second time that hour. It was fast becoming their favorite thing to do.

My hands tried to undo the buttons of his shirt but failed miserably.

"Screw it," I grunted, before tearing off the offending fabric. I was beyond caring about ruining a no doubt expensive piece of clothing.

"Do you know what that does to me," he growled in my ear, pushing his very aroused groin even further into my heated center while reclaiming my lips.

"Edward. Bedroom. Now!" I manage to pant in between kisses.

He willingly obliged, moving us through the hall and kicking open the door to my bedroom.

I slided down from his waist and yanked his belt from his pants. He groaned as my hands brushed over his length through his pants.

"You like that?" I purred, finding a strange new sense of confidence.

He just nodded.

"Then you'll love me for this," I chuckled as I opened the buttons of his jeans and lowered them and his boxers from his hips.

He stepped out of his clothes, looking at me with a look that showed both apprehension and expectation.

I stood on tiptoe kissing him softly, my hand dropping down to stroke his length. He moaned and dropped his head back as I increased my rhythm. It was one of the most erotic sights my eyes had ever set sight on.

"God, Bella," he panted.

My confidence increased and I dropped down onto my knees, kissing his head before taking him into my mouth.

I heard his breathing become more labored by the second as my head bobbed, my hands supporting my movements. I could feel him getting closer every second.

"Bella," he moaned as he released in my mouth. I greedily drank every single drop of him.

As he regained his self control he yanked me to my feet and practically threw me on the bed.

"My turn," he grunted, looking at me intensely from the other side of the bed. A shiver ran all the way through my body and I hand to fight the urge not to moan. If his stares could make me feel like this I could only imagine what his hands could bring about, or his tongue...

"Now, miss Swan," he chastised, shaking his head. "You are wearing far too many clothes."

He was true. Apart from the t-shirt I had shed somewhere along the way I was almost fully clothed whilst he was completely naked.

"What are you going to do about it, mister Cullen?" I asked.

He didn't even answer me. Instead he reached over and cupped my calf. I groaned as he ran his fingers down my leg to my foot before unbuckling my shoe and throwing it behind him, kissing my foot as it was released from it's patent leather prison. He repeated the process on my other foot, before crawling over my body to my waist.

He kissed a trail down from the edge of my bra, his tongue sweeping in circles over my exposed flesh. It felt like nothing I had even experienced before and for a minute I was sure I was going to spontaneously selfcombust.

"Edward!" I moaned, as he moved down my stomach at snails pace.

"Yes, dear?" he asked innocently, looking up at me through battered lashes.

"Argh!" I groaned in frustration. Dam that man for taking control of every situation!

"What do you want me to do, Bella?" he asked.

"I want you to..." I started, as I felt his hands undo the buttons on my jeans. "Yeah...just like that."

"No, tell me..." he chuckled.

"God, Edward," I panted as I felt his fingers move into my pants and brush over my soaked panties. "Please, go on!"

He moved his hand back causing me to groan in frustration and looked up at me, his face betraying his amusement.

"Not before you tell me what you want me to do," he stated calmly.

Damn. Why couldn't I remember anything Alice had taught me about spicing things up in the bedroom a few nights ago? And by the way: why was I thinking about Alice when I had the God of all things sexy lying in between my legs?

"I want you to take off my pants," I started.

Sure. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it was a good enough start.

He made quick work of peeling off my jeans before returning his gaze back at me, waiting for my next request.

"My underwear," I managed to croak as I felt my cheeks burn.

He reached behind my back, unclasping my bra and flinging it across the room. His hands came up to cup my breast, his lips kissing and flicking my erect nipples while before moving down again. As he reached the edge of my panties he took the hem in his mouth and pulled the offensive fabric down my legs with his teeth.

As I lay exposed to him I suddenly felt even more self conscious. Did he think me much changed? He had seemed to like my body five years ago, but that was before I had a child.

He must have noticed my self doubt.

"You're even more beautiful than I remember," he whispered, erasing my fears.

His lips traced a path up my legs, stopping at my hips.

"What do you want me to do, Bella?" he asked, his lips hovering just inches over my throbbing center.

"I want you to lick me, Edward," I panted, not caring about feeling embarrassed anymore.

He was only too happy to grant my request.

I gasped as his lips found my wet center, his tongue tracing over my folds. His fingers soon joined his mouth, winding up a coil in my stomach that was aching to come undone. As I felt myself getting closer to the edge my hands searched around me, desperate for something to hold onto. One of my hands grabbed hold of one of the pillows on the bed while the other weaved itself through Edwards hair. I had to use every bit that remained of my control not to be too forceful with either of them. Edward's hair was too beautiful be destroyed and I would have to spend the rest of the night picking up feathers if I destroyed the pillow. I had better things to do with my time.

He softly snapped at my nub, the pleasurable pain sending me tumbling over the edge, screaming his name. It seemed to be the only thing my mind could come up with at the moment.

"I love you," he said, kissing his way back to my lips.

"I love you too," I panted as I snuggled up against his chest.

He arranged the sheets around us so that we were comfortable. As I nestled myself against his chest I could feel a satisfied kind of drowsiness starting to wash over me. I sighed happily before closing my eyes.

"Sleep, my Bella, my love," Edward said softly, kissing my closed eyelids.

"Good night, Edward," I replied, kissing him one last time before drifting off into a blissful slumber.

_**So, they pretty much did everything but the deed. I think they needed a bit of release after all the drama in this chapter. Plus, I think they needed to work of some of their frustrations and at least see each other naked before they got to the third date. **_

_**I know Edward wanting to wait before seeing Libby might be a bit strange and confusing. More about that will be revealed in a little snippet of Edwards POV in the next chapter. **_

_**So, the next chapter is going to center around the third date...I think it would be foolish to ask if you thought Edward was going to make a grand gesture (duh, he's Edward, of course he will). So I'm asking: how grand a gesture do you think Edward will be making for the infamous third date? All I'll say is: it won't be a proposal.**_

_**Please review, it does wonders for my inspiration.**_


	18. Sweet reunion

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**Links to the music featured in this chapter can be found on my profile as well as my 'mood music' for the lemon.**_

**Sweet reunion (Lemon)**

"Really, Alice?" I asked astonished. "A t-shirt and jeans?"

When Edward had told me Alice would be in control of my outfit and makeup for our third date I had expected it to take hours and that I would be forced into some unpractical skimpy dress with matching killer heels.

"You're acting like Osama Bin Laden just presented you with a nice fluffy little kitten," Alice huffed.

"Feels like it," I laughed.

She mumbled something about how I dressed like Osama as well while selecting a set of undergarments for me to wear from a bag she had brought over to the apartment before flinging the items of choice at my head.

I made an ill attempt to catch it and got reacquainted with the floorboards before being yanked up by my hair – boy that pixie was stronger that I thought she would be! - and pushed into the bathroom for a shower.

I felt confused. During the entire week I had had the feeling that Edward had something grand planned for our third date. Something that required uncomfortable formal clothing and lots of money being spend.

This wasn't exactly what I had in mind, not that I was complaining though.

It made me kind of uneasy. I knew something big was probably awaiting me – Edward wasn't the type of guy who just said it with flowers – and I hated not knowing when it would come.

I quickly washed and dried myself, putting on the underwear Alice had ordered me to wear. It was actually kind of nice. Revealing without being hootchie. Just a plain set of matching midnight blue boyshorts and bra with black lace trimmings around the edges.

The clothes she had picked out for me where nice and comfortable as well. I quickly pulled on the pair of dark boot cut jeans and the Black Ed Hardy t-shirt with a skull and roses print on it. I was starting to think shaving Alice around as a personal wardrobe assistant might not be so bad after all.

After my shower the real torture began. Alice had all kinds of elaborate plans with my hair evolving around smooth curls and shiny waves. Little did she know that my hair was as stubborn as an ass and not very likely to cooperate. After about two hours and enough chemicals to make a scientist get excited Alice had won the battle with my hair. She stepped back, admiring her handiwork smiling like an evil little pixie.

She then moved on to my makeup, keeping it very light apart from the eyes. She managed to give me a pair of perfect smoky eyes without making me look like a mad raccoon. I looked into the mirror amazed with the fact that I liked what I saw. Me – plain old Isabella Swan – actually looking like she belonged to be by the side of Edward Cullen!

"You look very nice mommy," Libby stated when I walked back into the living room. "I like the scary t-shirt."

"Thanks honey!" Alice chirped. She was going to babysit Libby tonight, a fact the two of them had been looking forward to for the best part of the week. Alice had suggested it herself when she came over last week and the two of them had been hopping up and down in front of me like a pair of crazy bunnies waiting for me to answer. They were so much alike it was starting to get a little scary. I mean, I loved Alice, she was fast becoming one of my best friends, but if Libby ended up like her I was going to go bankrupt.

"Can we play dress up when mommy's gone, auntie Alice?" Libby asked.

I spun around faster than a basketball.

"Auntie Alice?" I asked.

Alice just shrugged. "If I would have been related to every woman I called aunt when I was young Chicago would have been one screwed up incestuous place!"

She was right. When I was five I had called every person in Forks who was over thirty either 'aunt' or 'uncle'. I guess there was no harm done in Libby doing just the same with Alice. It might even make the actual truth easier to deal with for her.

Edward and I had decided to tell Libby the truth tomorrow and though I was beginning to think Libby had guessed something about it, I was still dreading the day. I hoped Libby wouldn't be too shocked by the revelation.

As the start of our date grew closer I found myself getting more nervous by the minute. Alice, sitting at the table to help Libby with her coloring, picked up on that. She whispered something in Libby's ear before coming over to sit next to me on the sofa.

"Don't be nervous, Bella," she said, taking my hand.

"Can't help myself," I muttered.

"Tonight will finally be the end of all the frustrations and the waiting. I thought you'd be skipping around doing the happy dance!" she giggled.

I scrunched up my eyebrows. "Thanks Alice, but I don't want to spend the night in the ER."

"Edward really loves you,"Alice said, patting the back of my hand. "It'll be fine. And it's not like you two haven't done it before!"

I blushed and looked over to Libby, who was thankfully still engrossed in her little art project.

"Well, that's part of the problem," I started. "I haven't..._been_ with a man since Edward. I'm afraid I'm a little bit...rusty in that department. What if I can't please him?"

"Don't worry, Bella. It's just like riding a bike!"

"Well that's it then." I sighed dramatically, remembering quite how long and painful mastering that particular skill had been for me. "I'm screwed and not in the way I'd like to be."

She looked at me in wonder.

"Did I ever tell you how I got this scar?" I asked, pointing at the faded scar next to my right eye.

She giggled. "Driving a car, then?"

"Better," I shrugged. "At least that's something I can actually do."

"That's my girl," Alice giggled, pulling me into a hug while being careful not to ruin my makeup or outfit.

"Oh, and Bella?"

"Yes?"

"If you ever refer to your vagina as 'rusty' again I'm going to vomit all over your apartment," she smirked, shaking her head as if to get a nasty image out of it.

We were interrupted by the sound of the front door being opened, heralding the arrival of Edward. I must have turned a deadly sort of pale, because Alice took my hand, gently squeezing to reassure me.

"Edward!" Libby squealed, running over to the door and flinging herself in Edwards arms. I was glad she had Edward distracted for a little bit so that I could compose myself. Alice got up to pick up some of the pencils that had fallen to the floor. As Libby told Edward all about her day she shot me reassuring looks from across the room.

"I guess we'd better leave if we want to arrive at our first stop in time," Edward said.

I breathed and swallowed a couple of times in a futile effort to swallow my nerves. I had to find some distraction or I was going to either scream of cry.

Talk.

Yes, talk is good.

"And what might that first stop be?" I asked, remembering he had said something about not being late. I knew he wasn't going to tell me where we were going, but trying to get some information out of him would be a good enough distraction anyway.

He just smiled, not even bothering to answer my question.

Damn! There goes my distraction scheme!

I shook my head laughing at my own stupidity before pulling on my coat and kissing Libby goodnight.

"Now be nice for auntie Alice tonight, sweetie," I warned her.

"Auntie Alice?" Edward asked, looking over to his sister.

"Yeah, tell me about it!" I shrugged. "Let's just get out of here."

He took my hand and led me downstairs to the Volvo.

As we drove through the streets of Manhattan I kept looking outside, trying to find out where we were going. When Edward turned left on Broadway toward Houston Street I was completely puzzled.

I knew we weren't going to some fancy restaurant because we had both eaten before the date. Another request from Edward that hadn't made any sense to me. It was only when he turned into Delancey street that I guessed he was taking me to the Bowery Ballroom.

He parked the car in a nearby garage while I desperately tried to remember the bands that were playing this month. I never actually got to go to a gig since it wasn't really the kind of place you would take a five year old to to spend some quality time, but I would often sneak a peek at the program just to know what I was missing.

As we neared the building the flyer's with five sharply dressed men left me in no doubt about who was playing tonight.

"Interpol?" I asked, my eyes growing huge. "You're taking me to see Interpol?"

I had been a huge fan of Interpol ever since I heard their first album. The gloominess of their music seemed to kind of fit with my mental state at the time and I had loved every song they had made ever since. I had heard about their gig at the Bowery Ballroom but before I could even stop to think about going or asking someone to babysit Libby for me, it had been sold out. I could only imagine what Edward had had to do to get tickets to this.

"That first night I spend at your house I took a look at your cd-collection and concluded you liked them as much as I did. I hope I was right," he said, looking as nervous as I had been a few moments before.

I flung myself into his arms. "Edward, I love them!"

We went inside, got some drinks and found a perfect spot close to the stage. As the band opened with _'Pioneer to the falls' _I had to suppress the tears that started forming in the corners of my eyes. The lyrics and melody seemed to fit my life up to a few weeks ago.

_Show me the dirt pile  
And I will pray that the soul can take  
Three stowaways  
You vanish with no guile  
And I will not pay  
But the soul can wait  
The soul can wait_

What a different world that was. It felt like ancient history though it had hardly been a month ago that I had cried over distant memories.

As the song progressed Edwards head moved near mine and I could hear him singing along to the music.

_Show me the dirt pile  
And I will pray that the soul can take  
Three stowaways  
And you vanish with no guile  
And I will not pay  
But the soul can wait  
I felt you so much today_

Had he felt it too when we had been apart?

That longing deep down inside your body for your other half to complete you?

The emptiness that never quite went away?

The happiness at night when you made it through another day?

The heartbreak when you passed someone on the streets, thinking it was him, only to realize the person didn't even come close to looking like him?

_I know you try  
You tried straight into my heart  
You fly straight into my heart  
Girl, I know you try  
You fly straight into my heart  
You fly straight into my heart  
But here comes the fault..._

I reached behind me and wrapped Edwards arms around my waist, snuggling into his chest for comfort. He leaned his head against mine, placing kisses on my hair every now and then.

_So much for make believe, I'm not sold  
So much of dreams deceive, I'm not prepared to know  
Your heart makes me feel  
Your heart makes me bold  
For always and ever, I'll never let go  
Always concealed  
Safe and inside, alive!_

Now that I had found him again I would never let go. Never break our bond again. He made me feel save and whole and through these last blissful weeks I had realized that I needed him to survive.

Somewhere nearing the end of the performance the intro to '_Rest my chemistry'_ started. It was one of my favorite songs and I had been hoping they would be playing it tonight. As the guitar riff startled I moved my hips along with the music, eliciting a low hiss from Edward who was still standing closely behind me.

"Like that, do you?" I asked.

"More than I would like to admit," he replied, placing his hands on my hips to guide them along as I kept on grinding against his now very evident arousal.

I smiled to myself. I was still amazed I could have this effect on him. I couldn't wait for what would happen after the gig and even though the music was amazing and being here was like a wish come through, my mind kept on drifting to the things to come.

Edward moved his hands into the pockets of my jeans, stroking my skin through the tin fabric in the pockets.

I let my head fall against his chest, closing my eyes as I drifted away on the rhythm of the music. All I could think about was us, moving like this but with less clothes on.

"Let's just get out of here," I groaned as the song came to an end.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Absolutely," I replied. I needed to get out of here before I started to attack Edward in the middle of a crowded auditorium.

I was tired of waiting.

I needed him.

I needed him now.

"Edward, please..." I would beg for it if I had to.

I didn't finish my sentence before he started to pull me towards the exit.

--

As the car wound it's way through the busy streets of New York I couldn't help but notice we were moving back to Morningside Heights.

"Are we going back to my place?" I wondered.

I had thought we would have gone somewhere private. It would be uncomfortable to have sex in my very thin walled apartment with Libby and Alice in the rooms next to us. That was...if Edward wanted to have sex with me.

Was that it?

Was this his way of silently telling me he didn't want to have sex with me?

"Nope," he grinned, taking my hand and placing a light kiss on it.

No doubt he had seen the panicked expression on my face.

"Then were are we going?" I asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," he grinned. "Now, be patient. Good things come to those who wait."

I glared at him, before turning my attention to the window. Damned know it all!

He seemed to be enjoying my impatience because when we were waiting in front of a red traffic light he turned towards me, smiling my favorite crooked grin. "You know Bella, curiosity killed the cat!"

"Yeah," I replied with a grin of my own. "But it also made the kittens..." For one I was glad I had spend so much time with Rose in the past. Otherwise I would never have stumbled onto that particular little treasure.

It seemed to have the effect I was hoping for, because after that Edward was all to happy to subject himself to my wild speculations about where we were going.

We pulled up in front of a row of brownstones a few blocks away from my apartment.

What the hell was going on?

Edward exited the car and walked over to my side to help me out as well. When my feet where safely placed on the sidewalk he took my arm and we started walking down the street. I wondered if there might be a small romantic hotel on this street where he was taking me, but I couldn't find any signs.

Finally we stopped in front of a dark multi story building. Was this where he was taking me?

It was only then that I saw the 'sold' sign in front of it.

It all clicked.

He had made a grand gesture after all.

A very grand gesture.

"Oh no. You didn't," I stammered, as realization sunk in.

"Didn't do what?" he purred, no doubt amused by the amount of fear in my eyes.

"Tell me you didn't," I pleaded, my head spinning. "Edward tell me you didn't buy me a house for our third date!"

"Well," he started, his eyes betraying both amusement and apprehension. "Technically it's _our_ house..."

I just stood there, staring at him with my mouth hanging open looking from Edward to the house and back at Edward again.

"Bella," he stated, taking my head in his hands. "You don't have to come and live here right away. If you think it's too soon you can just keep living at your apartment. It's just...I wanted us to have a place that's ours. A place we can create _our_ memories in. I want Libby to have a garden to run around in and you to have a bigger kitchen to work your magic in. I guess I got a little carried away..."

He looked really nervous, like he thought he had screwed up. Did he really think this was the moment I would bolt?

Silly Edward!

I sighed and looked back towards the house. From what I could see in the faint light of the street lights the house was big – four floors judging by the windows – and built in that elegant style that I had always loved. It just oozed character and homeyness.

Looking at the house – our house – in front of me I could easily picture the future Edward had described in front of me. It was almost to wonderful to be true. It sounded like one of those 'and they lived happily ever after' kind of Disney movies though I had never – ever – in my life imagined it would be me skipping off into the sunset holding my lover's hand.

"It's beautiful, Edward," I whispered, tears of happiness streaming down my face. "I would love to live here with you."

The look of elation on his face made my heart soar with love. He leaned in and kissed me softly, his lips conveying all the love and happiness he felt.

"Do you want to see inside?" he asked eagerly when we broke apart.

"I would love to," I smiled back.

He led me up the steps to the front door, pulling a set of keys out of his jacket pocket and opening the door.

In the dark I could see the faint outline of a beautiful entrance hall with a staircase leading up to the higher floors. From what I could see it looked pretty much the same as it had when it was built all those years ago. The bottom halves of the walls were covered in a dark wood paneling, the same kind of wood that covered the floor. The high ceilings and moldings around the edges perfected the classic feel of the room. I couldn't wait to find out if the rest of the house had also retained it's period features.

I tried to walk into the entryway but Edward held me back.

I looked at him questioningly. "I thought you were going to show me around?"

He smiled his perfect crooked smile again, my knees almost giving way at the sight.

"I am, but before we get to that there is something I want to do first."

Before I could ask him what that was he had scooped me up and carried me over the threshold bridal style.

I squealed in surprise as he lifted me up in his strong arms.

"Aren't you supposed to put a ring on my finger before you do that?" I asked, laughing.

He chuckled, carefully setting me down on my feet again.

"It wouldn't be the first time we got ahead of convention wouldn't it?" he said, brushing his thumb over my lips.

I blushed, remembering all too well the previous time we did that.

"And I wouldn't mind a repeat of that," he chuckled, leaning in for another searing kiss.

As our kiss intensified he pushed me up against the wall in the entrance hall. I groaned in protest when he finally broke the kiss and let my body slide to the floor again.

"Later," he panted, pulling me into one of the rooms.

He flicked on a light switch and I started looking around me, taking in my new home.

The room I was in was larger - much larger - than the living room at my apartment and I could see how the big windows overlooking the street would let in a lot of light. There was a huge fireplace in the outer wall with an antique looking wooden surrounding around it.

Sliding doors let from the room to another large room overlooking the garden. This room was probably designated as a formal dining room because the kitchen was right next door but I wondered if we could make into some sort of study. It would depend on the size of the kitchen.

I eagerly moved through another door to explore the kitchen. It was nothing more than a shell, the original kitchen having been dismantled some time ago by the look of it, but it was huge. My kitchen back home would fit into this four times easily. As I looked though the space I could see it all coming together. There was plenty of space for a nice kitchen and a big dining table on the other end of the room. That way I could even cook and talk at the same time.

As I wandered through the downstairs area, mentally taking measurements and arranging furniture I became aware of Edward trailing nervously behind me. I had almost forgotten about him.

"Well...?" he asked, as I turned towards him.

"Edward, I love it!" I yelled, launching myself into his arms. "Who wouldn't? It's perfect!"

"It needs some work..." he said, leaning his head against mine. "We wont be able to move straight in."

"We'll make it just perfect. I can't wait to see the end result," I said, wrapping my arms around him and pulling his body as closely against mine as I could. "Thank you," I muttered.

"Does this mean I am forgiven for my extravagance?" he asked.

"No!" I repeated immediately. "I'm still going to yell at you for buying a house without even telling me. This just means that I wont do it tonight."

He laughed. "When you're ready I will gladly subject myself to any amount of yelling you want to do, if that means I get the pleasure of waking up beside you every morning for the rest of my life."

I felt a wildfire raging through my body at the thought of waking up next to Edward for the rest of my life, sharing every aspect of myself with him.

"Are you ready to see the upstairs rooms?" he asked.

I nodded as he took my hand and led me back into the hallway and up the stairs.

The rooms upstairs weren't as large as those on the ground floor but still a nice size. I could see a total of five doors leading off the landing. Three smaller bedrooms, a bathroom and what I presumed was the master bedroom.

Edward didn't allow me to explore the upstairs accommodations the way he had downstairs. Instead he immediately pulled me to a door in the far corner of the landing, pausing before it to look at me.

"I love you, Bella. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. You know that, right?"

"I know, Edward. I love you too. Forever."

He opened the door and guided me into the room.

I had expected just another empty room like the rest of the house, instead I found a room bathing in the light of countless candles all arranged around a colossal king sized wrought iron bed. The frame of the bed was black, complimenting the dull gold coverlet and throw pillows on the bed, and an intricate pattern of sculpted metal roses wound in vines over the tall post that stood erect at the four corners of the bed, forming a bowery lattice overhead.

I gasped at the sight, the familiar feeling of tears starting to sting at the corner of my eyes appearing.

"Edward!" I sighed. "This is...beautiful."

"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Bella," he repeated, turning me around and gently brushing his long, slender fingers along my cheeks.

I looked up at him, trying to find some strength in his eyes.

"Make love to me, Edward." I whispered.

"Are you sure?" he asked. I could hear the frightened restraint in his voice.

"I've never been as sure of anything in my life," I stated, never dropping my gaze.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head against mine, his hands pulling me close to his body. I groaned at the feeling of his body pressing against mine through our clothes while his sweet breath tingled on my face.

After a moment his hand came up to my sides, grabbing the hem of my shirt and slowly lifting it up. I pulled my head away from his so that he could lift the fabric over my head.

As soon as the shirt was discarded his hands came back to my skin, gently caressing my back and sides before moving up to cup my breasts. I moaned as his hands gently squeezed my mounds, his thumbs brushing over my hardened nipples.

"Edward, please!" I gasped, wanting him to move faster.

He chuckled, his confidence had obviously returned.

"We've waited so long for this. I want this night to be special, worth waiting more than five years for. I intend to take my time with you..." his voice trailed off on that last sentence.

The implications of his words and the tone of his voice made me shudder with delight. I wanted nothing more than to make tonight count, even if waiting for for the events to unfold was killing me.

His hands had never stopped their exploration of my breast. They now reached behind my back to undo the clasps of my bra. I lowered my arms to let it drop to the floor as soon as the fabric came free.

He moved back towards the bed, pulling me along with him. He sat down and moved me so that I was standing in between his legs. As soon as I was close enough his mouth replaced his hands in the exploration of my chest, his tongue flicking over my nipples while his hands trailed over the rest of my exposed skin.

"Oh God Edward that feels so good," I panted. The contrast of his warms tongue igniting a fire in my body and the cool October air on my skin made the tension in the pit of my stomach rise.

He hummed something unintelligible, the vibrations of his words reverberating through my body, making the tension building up inside of me rise even higher.

I needed to feel his lips against mine or I was going crazy. Without thinking I pulled his face up by his hair and crashed my lips to his. As our tongues battled for dominance I felt him pull me back onto the bed with him, my body tumbling on top of his.

Never breaking the kiss his hands came down to grab my rear, pushing me against his now very prominent arousal.

I ground against him creating a very pleasurable sort of friction. It served to release my tension, but only a bit. He must have liked it as well because as my hips slowly moved against his he moaned into my mouth.

He flipped us over, my legs wrapping around his waist, trapping him in between my legs.

My pitiful attempt to make him loose control and speed things up only made him smile against my lips and remove his mouth from mine to whisper in my ear.

"Now, what did I say about taking it slow?" he purred, making me groan in frustration.

"Edward, please! You're killing me!"

"And what a perfect way to die," he mused.

"Not now," I replied, almost out of reflex. "It would be torture to have it all end now, on the brink of delight. Not before I've tasted it, enjoyed all of you."

I must have said the right thing because I heard Edward let out an almost predatory growl before claiming my lips again in a searing kiss that told me just how much he wanted me.

I reached between us to undo the buttons on his shirt, his more steadfast hands taking over from my trembling fingers before long. As the last of the buttons came undone he leaned back, straddling my waist, to shrug the shirt of his shoulders, exposing his torso to me in all it's glory.

The sight of his perfectly sculpted chest – it's flawless features making Michaelangelo's David look like a puny little schoolboy in comparison – still made my mind go hazy and mute for a few seconds.

I bit my lip, hopelessly trying to keep the saliva that had pooled in my mouth from spilling over. My hands tracing the outline of his muscles.

He gasped at the feeling of my hands running over his chest, his head falling back as his legs gently squeezed my hips leaving almost no space between us.

After a few moments he leaned back towards me, the overheated skin of both our chests brushing against each other as he captured my lips in a heartbreakingly sweet kiss before moving to the side of my head to gently such on the hollow behind my ear. I moaned as he nipped on my earlobe.

"You have no idea how much I've wanted this," he whispered in my ear as his hands started to unbutton my jeans.

"If my own feelings are anything to go by, then I think I have a pretty good idea of how you're feeling," I muttered as his hands brushed against my core through my soaked underwear.

He eased my pants down my legs before returning his hands to my folds, rubbing me through my panties. I arched into his touch.

"Edward," I panted, feeling the pressure in between my legs staring to build up. "You're still wearing too much clothes."

I felt insanely stupid when he removed his hands to take of his pants and boxers. I knew it would be worth it in the end but if I had just kept my stupid mouth shut I would have had both.

His body was just as perfect as I remembered, the years that had gone by didn't have any effect on it.

As he dropped his clothes beside the bed he crawled back up to me, planting soft kisses all over my body along the way.

"Are you..." he sounded nervous all of a sudden.

I realized what he was trying to say. "Don't worry," I said, looking into his eyes. "I'm on the pill."

"Good," he said with a relieved laugh. "Not that I don't want to give Libby a brother or sister in time. It's just that I want us to practice a little bit more before we do that."

So he wanted to have another child with me? The thought made my heart speed up, just like every hint at his commitment to Libby and me had done before.

"Actually..." he mused, flashing me another crooked smile. "I wouldn't mind a lot of practice..."

I was suddenly glad the room was only lit by candles. No doubt I was blushing a nice fiery red and I didn't want Edward to see how much his words affected me. It would only go to his head.

"Well then," I said, trying to make my voice sound as low and seductive as possible. "By all means. Let the practicing commence."

He slowly removes the last piece of clothing that remained. His gaze trailing from my face down over my body.

"You're so beautiful," he muttered, his hands caressing my legs, my hips and my stomach before wrapping around my chest and pulling me close to him. "So soft...so warm."

"I love you, Bella," he stated, his green eyes, dark with desire, flaming into mine. "With my mind, body and soul I love you."

"I love you too, Edward. With everything I have," I replied as I pulled one of my legs up slightly to grant him access.

It was like a total surrender. I surrendered myself to him as he broke down that final boundary that rested between us.

He slowly and carefully sheathed himself inside me, holding still for a while to allow me to get adjusted to his size, his lips kissing every part of me they could reach.

As I felt discomfort change into pleasure I ground my hips into his slowly to let him know I was ready.

He started moving slowly, his lips never leaving mine. As I moved away to take a much needed breath he started to suck on the skin at the base of my neck. I knew I would be his for all the world to see tomorrow and the thought of that got me even more worked up.

"Dammit, Bella," he groaned, moving in and out of me tortuously slow. "It feels so good to be inside of you."

"Edward, please," I gasped, the smoldering tension in my lower abdomen becoming almost too much to bear.

"What do you want, Bella...Tell me," he purred, licking the bruise he just gave me.

"I ...need...you...to...move...faster," I panted.

"Your wish is my command sweetheart," he said, picking up his pace.

His thrusts shot sparks through my body every time he moved inside of me and I could feel my release building up slowly.

He gasped as my hands found their way up and scratched softly along the muscles of his back.

"Feisty, are we?" he chuckled in my ear.

I nodded, unable to utter a single syllable.

"Two can play that game," he stated.

I screamed in pleasure and surprise as I felt him bite down softly on my right nipple. My head fell backwards as the pleasurable pain shot through my body, my legs wrapping themselves around his waist to pull him even deeper inside of me.

"You're mine," he panted, as he released inside of me.

"I'm yours..." I gasped, following him over the edge. "Forever."

My body twisted and trembled like electrical shocks were coursing through it. My toes curled up into the mattress, needing to find something to hold onto as my mind shot higher and higher.

I remembered last time was good. Very good. But it paled in comparison to this.

"I'm yours," I repeated, as I felt my body slowly falling back towards the earth.

_**Wipes brow.**_

_**So, I think I'm slowly getting into this lemon writing thing! **_

_**I actually thought up the lemon-part of this chapter while overseeing a test (I love being able to multi task). I think some of my students might have noticed my mind going into the gutter though...They were looking at me a little strangely.**_

_**A link to the property that inspired the house that Edward bought can be found on my profile. I hope I didn't go completely overboard with the whole house-buying scheme. At first I was having Edward whisk Bella away for some romantic getaway but then I thought about him buying them a home and everything sort of clicked. I think it's a very Edwardesque thing to do.**_

_**I know I promised a bit in Edwards POV, but when I went back to this chapter for proofreading and editing it just didn't feel right. It somehow disrupted the flow of the chapter. You'll get Edwards POV in the next chapter though. It fits better in there.**_

_**Please let me know what you thought about this chapter. As you know...it inspires me.**_


	19. Trinity

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Trinity (lemon)**

As the last of the candles flickered one last time before the fading light died I struggled to keep my eyes open. Even thought I could hardly see a thing in the darkness that now enveloped me I still couldn't bring myself to sleep. Not while my arms were still holding the most beautiful, most precious thing in the world.

Bella Swan.

My love.

My life.

She stirred in her sleep, mumbling something unintelligible before drifting back into a deep and peaceful slumber.

I still couldn't believe my luck. Not only had I found her again, but now she was lying in my arms after we had just shared the most amazing night of my life together.

How did I deserve this.

How did I deserve her?

Having shared myself – all of myself – with her had made me realize I needed her. More than I had ever thought I needed her before. I had felt it the first time we met – that first time I held her in my arms – that feeling of completion, of two souls joining together in so much more than just sex or mutual affection.

I had felt whole.

Complete.

I never wanted to leave her side again for as long as I had lived. Every night from now on should be spend like this. Worshiping the goddess in my arms, watching over her as she slept. Had I known what I felt now – the feelings of elation and exhilaration that nearly made my chest explode - I wouldn't have been able to control myself during the last few weeks.

Still, I was glad I had. We had needed it. During the last few weeks we had gotten to know each other and had broken down each others defenses bit by bit. I knew that if we had made love before we had done that it wouldn't never have been as amazing as last night had been.

Last weeks talk had taken away any lingering fears I had over the physical aspect of our relation. I felt safe with Bella. Secure in the strength of our love. When we made love it didn't feel like I was taking advantage of her - sucking the life out of her like some kind of vampire – like I had felt before. When we moved together it hadn't been about taking, it had all been about giving. I had given myself to her, like she had given herself to me.

I pulled her body closer to mine, making sure the sheets were keeping her warm. I couldn't resist placing a kiss on her shoulder before I covered it with the comforter, relishing one again in her sweet scent as it enveloped me and the even sweeter taste of her skin.

My sweet Bella.

My Bella.

I didn't want this night to end, I never wanted to leave this bed. My happiness was almost complete.

Almost.

There was one thing missing.

Libby.

The prospect of Bella and me telling Libby that I was her father filled me with both happiness and fear. I wanted to be a father to Libby. I had wanted that since even before I had set eyes on her.

Still I was afraid of how she was going to react when we told her. Would she accept me as her father? Would she be angry because we hid the truth?

Was Bella really ready for this?

All those concerns had been playing on my mind even since Bella announced that she was ready for us to tell Libby. They had kept me from randomly blurting out the truth during the evenings I spend over at Bella's last week. I had wanted to tell Libby. God, how I ached for her to know. But still there was doubt.

For some strange reason it felt wrong telling Libby the truth before Bella and I had taken the final step in our reunion. I needed that confirmation, the knowledge that Bella and I were truly together and that nothing could ever drive us apart again, when I faced my daughter in the morning.

I also wanted her to know how much I loved the two of them together and how committed I was to them. Buying a house for the three of us would be the tangible proof of that. It had been the first time I had experienced that my wealth wasn't just a curse but could also been a blessing. If my grandfather hadn't started his little factory all those years ago I would never have been able to buy this place for the two loves of my life.

I had always seen the money as a handicap. As soon as people discovered I was rich they started acting differently, going along with everything they said in the hope that some of that money would rub off on them.

The money had also been the opener of many doors during my partying days. It had guaranteed me an standing invite to every party on and off campus and had been the key to easy sex. Plenty of women were more than happy to sleep with me in the hope they would be able to land themselves a rich husband.

With Bella it was different. She didn't care about the money, if anything she appeared to love me in spite of it. I knew that me being rich was a cause for concern for her. She felt like she wasn't good enough for me, like I belonged to be with some kind of brainless bimbo socialite.

Little did she know how much I hated all those rich spoiled little débutantes. They had had everything in life handed to them on a silver platter and if something went wrong daddy would come round to fix it. It made me sick to my stomach to see the disdain they showed towards those who didn't grow up in similar privileged surroundings and the obviousness with which they regarded their own wealth.

If I had wanted someone like that I would have married Tanya three years ago, when she had first started throwing herself at me, though the thought alone made me shiver with disgust.

The main cause of my doubt about telling Libby, however, was something else. I needed to be sure Bella was ready. This was as big a step for her as it was for me. She was going to have to share Libby with me and that wasn't going to be easy for her after having had our daughter to herself for the last five years. I needed to make sure she was ready for it. That she wasn't going through with this because she felt she had to. Because it would make me happy.

Her happiness mattered so much more to me than mine and it would kill me to know that I had forced her into something. This was far too important to be rushed into..

I had given her a week to back out of this. To think about if she was ready. I had watched her closely during the last week to see of she showed any regrets about her decision and the ascertain if she was truly ready for this.

She was.

I was.

I could only hope Libby was as well.

As my sweet angel stirred in my arms again, her hands pulling her small, delicate frame even closer to me, I could feel my eyelids starting to droop and though I hated to close my eyes and loose sight of my precious Bella I knew I needed to sleep. I couldn't face my daughter tomorrow morning with bloodshot eyes and a sleepy face.

--

BPOV

--

Waking up next to Edward the next morning was pure bliss. It made me realize how much I wanted it to be like this for the rest of my life. Edward, Libby and me, living in this beautiful house together. Sure, it needed work, but from what I had seen last night it would look absolutely fabulous once it was finished.

Thinking back on seeing the house last night also brought our other activities back to mind. I could feel my body starting to heat up as last nights events started to play back in my head, the wetness pooling in between my legs at the thought of Edward lying naked beside me at that moment.

God, how I wanted him!

How I needed him!

I quickly grabbed the edge of the comforter that covered both of us and threw it back, revealing Edward in all his glory. I bit my lip in an effort not to jump him right there and then, I had other plans.

As I trailed my hand along his side he started to stir, though not awaking from his sleep, not even when I kissed my way along his chest to his waist. I kissed his head before trailing my tongue along his shaft eliciting all kinds of lovely noises from him. He appeared to be very much awake right now.

I took him in my mouth, swirling my tongue over his head while my hands moved over his shaft. I could hear him groan in pleasure and looked up at him through my eyelids at the gorgeous naked man in front of me. He was almost too sexy, with his head fallen back on the pillow, his eyes shut and his mouth slightly opened. When he noticed I had stopped he open his eyes and looked at me in a state of utter confusion and disappointment.

If my plan hadn't been so much better than this I would almost have felt sorry for him.

"What?" I asked, keeping my voice as innocent as I could.

"Bella," he groaned. "Don't start what you do not intend to finish!"

"It can't be Christmas every day!" I giggled, trailing my fingers along his abs, his muscles flexing and relaxing as they came into contact with my hands. "I had to find a way to wake you up."

I let my fingers trail along the v-shaped muscles on his stomach until they got dangerously close to his erection, still standing proud. I licked my lips at the sight of it but made no move to continue, causing Edward to groan with frustration.

"A simple good morning Edward and a peck on the cheek would have sufficed," he huffed.

"I thought you'd like my way better," I pouted, hitching my leg over his waist and lowering myself onto him. I was done teasing. For now. I just needed him inside of me.

"This, I like," he moaned as I started to slowly rock on top of him.

"I thought you might," I panted as his hands gripped my hips tightly, guiding my movements.

He brought down one of his hands to rub my bundle of nerves, the other keeping its tight grip on my hips.

"Edward!" I yelled as I felt myself getting close to my release.

"God, Bella," he groaned, his right hand still rubbing me while his other hand came up to cup my breast.

"Please, Edward. Don't stop!" I panted, increasing my pace.

"You have no idea what it does to me, watching you as you ride me," Edward panted, his face trailing over my body with an intense look of lust and adoration.

His words and the look on his face combined with the attention his hands were lavishing on my body send me straight over the edge, pulling Edward after me. As I collapsed on his chest his arms pulled me tighter to his body while he whispered words of love in my ear.

As we lay in each others arms, our bodies still joined together, trying to regain some control over ourselves, I realized that I hadn't even seen the rest of the house yet. Not that I had a burning desire to ever leave this bedroom again, but it would be shame if I had to leave before even seeing the rest of the bedrooms.

As I felt recovered to the point I could actually stand I tried to disentangle myself from Edwards hold. As soon as I pulled away from Edward I felt the loss of him. The next few days would be hard. If I couldn't stand being just inches away from him then how was I going to cope with him working a twelve hour shift at the hospital? How would I even prevent myself from attacking Edward in front of Libby?

"Where do you think you're going?" he pouted.

"I'm kind of curious about the rest of the house," I said. "I have a feeling I've only seen about half off it, you know with you distracting me last night."

"Well, I'm sorry about that," he huffed in mock indignation.

"Not that I minded though," I giggled, leaning in to kiss him. "You can distract me like that any time."

"Good," he purred, "because I plan on distracting you like that many times."

I wrapped myself in the bedsheets. I knew I would probably have to be scared about catching a cold, running around in an unheated housed dressed in nothing but a thin cotton sheet, especially since I was still all hot and sweaty from the amazing round of wake-up sex we'd just had, but I was too curious to care.

I explored the bedrooms that were on the same floor as the master bedroom. They were all large, with big windows letting in plenty of light. Even in their stripped state I could see how fabulous they were going to look. They only needed some love, a lick of paint and the addition of some nice furniture. I wandered upstairs to the second floor which held another three rooms and a stairwell going up to the attic.

"Seven bedrooms, Edward?" I cried, snuggling into Edwards arms as he came up behind me, wrapping the both of us in the warm comforter from the bed. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

He grinned. "Oh, I do plan on filling some of those bedrooms in the near future, though we should probably keep at least one as a guest room for when my parents come to visit."

His word made the wetness pool in between my legs again. More babies with Edward. That meant more sex with Edward. Plenty of sex with Edward.

Dear lord. I was turning in a Rosalie Hale type sex fiend!

I had to fight the urge not to drag him back to our bedroom by his hair and make him put his money where his mouth was.

Money.

Damn!

"Dear God! How much did you pay for all of this?" I yelled, jumping out of his embrace. The fact that I was going to be living in a four story brownstone with a garden on Manhattan was suddenly sinking in. "I know places like these don't usually go for under a million. What were you thinking Edward?"

He carefully dropped his gaze to the ground. I don't know if he was trying to make me believe he was ashamed or disappointed but if he was, it sure as hell wasn't working since the amused little smirk he was trying to hide from me by dropping his face to the ground hadn't escaped my notice.

"Do I even want to know how much all of this cost?" I shrieked, waving my hands at the bare walls around me.

"What you don't know, can't hurt you," he chuckled, pulling me back into his arms.

"How did you get the keys to this house so fast anyway?" I asked. I didn't know the first thing about buying real estate, but I knew that it would probably take more than a few weeks to seal the deal and sort out the financing.

He shrugged. "Things can move pretty fast when the house is empty and you're paying cash."

My eyes nearly popped out of my head. Did he just say he cash bought the place?

"So you just had a million bucks lying about your house and you though 'what the hell I might just as well buy a house with it'?" I still couldn't believe it. "Did you rob a bank or something?"

"Silly Bella, I did no such thing," he grinned. "And no, I don't just have a million dollar lying around somewhere, they have nice big buildings nowadays they call banks. You should visit them someday. They are amazing. They keep your money and handle your payments for you!"

"So what are you, related to Donald Trump or something?" I asked sarcastically.

"It's funny you should say that..." I felt like I was going to faint.

"Just kidding!" he laughed, tightening his hold on me. "My great grandfather started a company back in Chicago and we – my family and I - are still major shareholders in it. That and Carlisle's job as a neurosurgeon made me very...comfortable."

I was perfectly satisfied with that answer. I had always guessed that Edward was well off - there was something about the way he dressed, talked and moved that seemed to imply that - but I didn't know how well off he really was. The fact that he had enough money to bring this about was more than enough for me.

"Shouldn't we be getting back?" he asked after a while. "I mean, if it were up to me we'd never leave this house again, but we do have a daughter to talk to."

O. Right. Libby. Was I a bad mother for only having thought about the gorgeous naked man in front of me?

I sighed. "I guess you're right."

"Are you still unsure about telling her? I'd be perfectly fine with waiting if you're not ready..."

I silenced him by placing a finger on his lips, my other hand cupping his face. "I'm ready. I want to tell her. I want you to be a father to our daughter. I'm just a little scared about how she will react to me lying to her about it. About us."

"It will be fine, love," he reassured me. "These things have a way of working out."

A few moments later we were walking back to my place. Unfortunately our new house didn't have any running water – or bathing facilities for that matter – so there was no way for us to really straighten ourselves out. No matter how hard I had tried to get my hair to behave again, it still looked almost as disheveled as it had first thing that morning. Not to mention Edwards hair. Our bodies were screaming 'we had sex last night'.

I felt guilty about having the most important conversation of her life with my daughter whilst still smelling of sex with her father – hot and steamy sex with her father. It was wrong, but there was no way around it. If I had a shower before I faced Libby my courage would evaporate and I would chicken out. I needed to do this now, though I prayed that Libby wouldn't pick up on any funny smells.

I knew Alice would guess what we had been doing with our time as soon as she saw us, if she hadn't figured it our already that is.

I was right.

As soon as I had turned my keys in the front door lock and opened the door I saw Alice standing in the hallway, a huge grin on her face.

"Congratulations Bella! You've finally made a man out of my brother!" she squealed.

Edward tensed behind me and I could imagine the glare on his face.

I noticed the door between the living room and the hallway was closed. At least she had the sense to not let Libby in on her parent's sex life.

"Uhm, Alice," I started. "I hate to disappoint you honey, but I think someone beat me to it. A long time ago."

"Yeah, I know," she said, her face falling. "I just really wanted to say that someday but when he was still in college Edward never took any of his conquests home to meet us."

"Alice!" Edward grunted.

"What? It's true!" Alice yelled.

I rolled my eyes. "Can I go see my kid now?"

I didn't wait for Alice to answer but brushed past her opening the door to the living room.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Libby yelled as she bounded over to us and flung herself into Edwards arms.

We both froze. Did Alice spill the beans?

I looked towards Alice who was still standing by the table. She looked back at me, shaking her head, silently letting me know she didn't knew what brought this up either.

"Libby, sweetie?" Edward said. "Did you just call me daddy?"

She nodded, looking up at him with her big green eyes. "Isn't that what you call your mommy's boyfriend?" she asked.

I had to suppress the urge not to giggle as I saw Edwards face. He looked so totally lost in this situation.

"Libby, sweetie. Mommy and you need to talk," I said, moving towards the couch.

"Can daddy come too?" she asked.

"Sure," I replied, smiling at the way Edwards face seemed to turn into a vision of pure joy every time she called him daddy.

Edward joined us on the couch, sitting behind me with his hands around my waist so that we could both look at Libby who was sitting on the opposite side of the couch.

I noticed Alice had quickly gathered her things and was moving towards the door, giving us some privacy.

"Thanks for everything, Alice," I said, before she could leave.

"Don't worry about it. You'll repay me in shopping trips later!" And with that she was out the door.

I groaned inwardly, letting my head fall against the cushions. I had a feeling I was going to regret asking Alice to babysit.

"Mommy?" Libby asked. "Did you fall down again?"

"No, sweetie," I replied, completely puzzled. "What makes you think that?"

"You have a nasty bruise on your neck and I thought you must have hurt your head," she stated, pointing at the love bite at the base of my neck.

If my face would have been able to get any redder, I would probability have steam spurting out of my ears.

"Yes my angel," Edward chuckled. "How did you get that nasty looking bruise on your neck?"

I craned my neck to glare at him. "As if you don't know, Edward!"

Libby's eyes grew huge and angry as they flashed from me to Edward.

"You hurt mommy?" she yelled.

I grinned wickedly at Edward. Let him explain what he did to me.

"Uhm...yes, well...erm...It was an...accident?" Edward stuttered.

Libby kept glaring at him.

"I love your mommy very much and I would never hurt her on purpose," Edward explained, holding his hands up in front of him like Libby was threatening to shoot him. "I'm very sorry for hurting Bella. I hope you can forgive me...both of you."

He looked so adorable while he was squirming his way out of this mess and I could feel myself getting aroused again.

No Bella.

For heaven's sake, pull yourself together.

This is not the right time to let your mind wander into the gutter.

Libby kept glaring at Edward through squinted eyes. I recognized that look. She was satisfied with his answer for now, but she hadn't forgiven him yet.

After a few minutes in which Libby kept scowling at Edward and Edward started to cringe further and further behind my back I figured it was time to save Edward from the Libby's anger.

"Libby," I started. "Edward and I would like to talk to you about something."

"What is it mommy?" Libby asked, her eyes now fully focused on me.

"Well...do you remember a few weeks ago when you asked me if you had a daddy?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Do you remember what I told you?"

"You said that I had a daddy, but that he wasn't around. Like Felicity's daddy," she replied.

"Yes, exactly." I was trying to find the words to explain the truth when Edward took over.

"Libby?" he asked, getting her attention. "What would you say if we told you that your daddy was going to be around from now on?"

Libby thought about that for a moment, looking from Edward to me and back to Edward again.

"I would like that," she finally said.

She looked back up at Edward. "You're my real daddy aren't you?"

He nodded.

"How did you know?" I asked, realizing by the tone of her voice that this wasn't the first time she had thought about that.

"We have the same eyes," she stated, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, pointing from Edward's eyes to her own. " I saw that when we met for the first time. And when we met daddy for the first time at the hospital he looked at us in a strange way I didn't understand until we went to visit uncle Emmet and auntie Rose and my uncle looked at aunt Rosalie and little Charlie the same way. When I saw it I knew you were my daddy. You must have been"

Tears streamed down my face at that. I had thought she had figured out Edward and I were more than just friends, but I could never have guessed our clever daughter would have figured it all out the first day she saw him.

"Are you angry with me for keeping secrets?" I asked. All of this had been to protect Libby but now I was terribly afraid that by wanting to protect her I had subconsciously caused her pain.

"I don't know," she said, sticking her finger in her mouth to think about it. It made my heart sink and I had to grab hold of Edwards hand in an effort not to break down.

"I'm not angry," she said after a while. "But I don't like it when you keep secrets from me."

"I promise I won't do it again," I said, enveloping her in my arms.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew Edward was your father?" I asked her after a while.

She shrugged. "I was waiting for you to tell me when you wanted to."

I hugged her closer, amazed once again at how old Libby was for her age.

"Libby," Edward said, breaking the silence. "Would you like having me as your father?"

Libby looked up and scrutinized Edwards face for a moment.

"Are you going to be around from now on?" Libby asked Edward in a strict, solemn voice.

"Yes, Libby. I won't ever leave the two of you again," he replied, taking her hand.

"Then I love it!" she squealed, fringing herself across the sofa into my arms.

As I hugged Libby as close to me as I could I felt Edwards arms come around me and envelope the two of us. It wasn't just Libby and Bella against world anymore now but the thought didn't make me sad or jealous anymore. It felt like my little family had finally reached it's proper form.

A trinity.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

--

A FEW WEEKS LATER...

--

I walked through my apartment with a bittersweet feeling. Today would be my last day here. Today Libby and I would be moving with Edward to our new home.

It had all gone so fast. I guess that was what it was like when money was no object. Every day when I got back from work and checked on the progress something would have changed. One day the house would have a new roof, the next day the walls would be nice and smooth and another day they would be painted. Bits and pieces slowly started to appear like bathrooms, kitchens, lights.

Alice had helped pulling everything together, calling in the help from her mom Esme, who was an expert on decorating. She would have been here with us if it hadn't been for the fact she wanted her husband to be there with her when she met her granddaughter for the first time.

They were such nice people. I had talked to Esme a few times on the phone and once briefly to Carlisle. They saw Edward as their own, even though technically he was only their nephew. They didn't blame me for breaking their sons heart or keeping Libby a secret. They just seemed to love having us in their lives.

We had agreed to have a big family get together for Thanksgiving. Carlisle and Esme would fly in from Chicago to spend the Thanksgiving weekend with us and Emmett and Rose and Jasper and Alice would join us for dinner. That of course also meant that work on our new home needed to be finished by then. We set the date for the big reshuffling of living accommodations for the last weekend before Thanksgiving and that was today.

The news of Edwards purchase had trumped a game of musical chairs with apartments. Alice didn't want to livE on the east side all by herself so she took over the lease on my old home, while she and Edward decided to rent out their apartment for the time being.

I was glad Alice was going to live here. It would have been sad to have a stranger living amongst all my memories though I was weirded out as well by the thought of coming to visit Alice in my old home.

I had a feeling she wouldn't be living there on her own for much longer...

Things between Jasper and Alice had progressed in much the same way as it had between Edward and me – that is without the five years spent apart or the unexpected pregnancy – and they were spending more and more time together.

Of course the students back at school had gotten totally different ideas when Ms. Swan and Mr. Whitlock had started walking through the corridors with matching goofy grins on their faces. They had put two and two together and concluded that we were probably in the midst of a passionate staffroom liaison.

I had only started to notice that when students would barge into my classroom or Jasper's every time we were alone in there. No doubt they were hoping to catch us in a compromising situation on a desk or something.

Zafrina had told me that she had overheard some students in her art class discussing all kinds of scenarios about what went on behind their back raging from us passing dirty little notes during classes (I had on occasion asked a student to pass a note from me to Jasper, asking if I could borrow one of his DVD's about the industrial Revolution when we were reading Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South) to us having hot passionate sex on Aro's desk during lunch break – which was one of my personal favorites.

I was still laughing to myself when I heard the doorbell ring. Apparently the guys had managed to move the previous load in record time.

--

EPOV

--

"Can you hand me that box over there in the far corner?" I asked Emmett as I added another small cardboard box to the stack in my arms.

Emmett threw the box at me, nearly making me drop the other stuff I was carrying in an effort to catch it. Luckily it was filled with the few clothes Alice had allowed Bella to bring with her to our new home, or I might have broken something.

"Thanks for that!" I huffed.

"You're welcome!" Emmett sang from the backseat of his Jeep.

Somehow Alice had managed to sneak into Bella's apartment one day while Bella was gone and subject Bella's wardrobe to a close inspection. In the end she threw out about three quarters of Bella's clothes and replaced it with some more 'appropriate' stuff she and Rose had bought. I had a feeling that they had somehow managed to get Libby in on it. The little girl had been acting way to innocent when Bella had discovered that all of her comfortable clothes had been sent to charity. She had been spending far too much time with her aunts lately.

Emmett and I had been making progress during the last week. He wasn't so bad once you got to know him and it helped that we had a shared goal – making Bella happy – between us.

I knew as Bella's older – and only – brother Emmett would always be protective of her. He had made that perfectly clear at O'Grady's a couple of weeks ago. When Bella and Rosalie had been distracted he had told me that if I ever even thought of abandoning his sister again he would hunt me down, shoot me and hide the body without anyone ever finding out it was him who killed me. Somehow I didn't have any trouble believing he would be capable of doing that.

A few days later he actually called me to invite me to come work out at his gym. I had accepted both out of curiosity and necessity. Spending most of my time over at Bella's had made me forget about the world around me. Before Bella came back into my life I would spend several hours a week in the gym working out. Now all I could think about when I got off after my shift was how to get home to Bella and Libby as fast as I could. Perhaps Emmett being the owner of a gym nearby Bella's apartment would push me to start my work outs again.

While he had enrolled me and showed me around the place we talked and got to know each other a little better. He was actually a great guy once you got past the scary big brother stuff. Still, in spite of the fact that he seemed to be cool with Bella and me being together, I didn't dare ask him the questions that had been weighing on my mind of late. Questions I didn't want to ask Bella because I knew they would upset her.

"Emmett?" I asked, as I returned for another stack of boxes.

"What's up?" Emmett asked. He had cleared the Jeep and was just brushing the backseat clean. We'd only have to make one or two more runs from Bella's apartment to our new house before we had everything.

"How bad were things...with Bella after she returned from Florida?" I asked, unable to hold the question in for much longer.

Emmett's face took on an expression of deep pain and sadness which made me take in a sharp breath, steadying myself for the awful truth. He motioned for me to sit in the passenger seat while he slided into the driver's seat, drumming nervously on the steering wheel.

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" he asked.

I nodded. "I'm sure. I want to know how bad things were for her."

"Pretty bad," he finally sighed. "She felt horrible about getting to the hospital too late. She and dad had always been pretty close. He was a man of few words and I don't think he ever had a full conversation with anyone in his entire life but somehow she just kind of 'got' him."

He looked at me but his mind was in another place. "Anyway...I started thinking there was more to her sadness than met the eye when she retreated into some sort of catatonic state after a few days. She just sat there in the living room. Never eating. Never sleeping. Just staring out of the window in front of her, holding on to her phone as if it was her only lifeline."

I couldn't fight the gasp of horror as I envisioned Emmett's description of Bella. I knew it was my call she had been awaiting. That the devastation and pain she had felt was because of me.

"She never told us anything and the rest of the family seemed to be thinking she was just grieving over the loss of our father. The doctor prescribed her some very strong sleeping pills that knocked her out for a while and we managed to get some food down her throat after a while."

"After she went back to college things appeared to go back to normal for a while," he continued. "That is...until I got a phone call from her roommate that Bella had gone back to her catatonic state after a visit from my mom. I called my mom who explained to me – in no uncertain terms – that Bella was pregnant and alone and that she had severed all ties with her and expected me to do the same."

He sighed. "After I was done yelling at my mom I took care of my sister. I somehow managed to get her to finish her year and move to New York with me to sort out everything she needed to sort out about herself and the little munchkin."

We were interrupted by the sound of someone pulling one of the back doors open.

"Why are the two of you hiding in there? Too much estrogen in the house for you to handle?" Jasper grinned, flinging his tall frame across the back seat of the Jeep. Alice, Rose and Libby were in the house, unpacking boxes and putting everything in it's rightful place while Bella took care of things at her old apartment.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked, looking at our serious faces.

"Not really Jazz," Emmett said. "I was just explaining to Edward about how Bella...managed during their time apart."

"Oh," Jasper said, his face saddening just as Emmett's had.

"Anyway..." Emmett continued. "After a while I could see she was resolved to at least make an effort. She got up in the morning, went about her day and tries to live as healthy as she could to keep herself and her baby as healthy as she could."

After Libby was born and she took some time to take care of her and get used to being a mom and stuff she wasted no time getting back to school. She seemed determined to prove to herself that having a baby didn't mess up her life and she damn well did that!" Emmett's face lit up with proud. "The little squirt aced every test she took and graduated with honors while raising a child and taking care of me at the same time. I swear, that girl could do everything she set her mind to...I couldn't even begin to say how proud I am of her for doing all of that."

We all nodded at that. No one needed to tell me how amazing Bella was. I already knew.

"Still, underneath it all I could see she was still suffering. She kept up the facade of the old Bella - and sometimes she was doing a pretty good job at it too – but that was all it was, a facade. We only got to see the pain that lurked behind it a few times, when it was getting too big to keep in."

Jasper nodded. "Over the years I don't think I ever saw the real Bella until you showed up a few weeks ago. I mean, she's always been an amazing friend an colleague and I love her like she were my sister but she was always kind of...withdrawn. It was like she wasn't really there."

"I'm sorry," I muttered, feeling devastated by Emmett and Jaspers words.

"Don't worry about it," Emmett shrugged, patting me on the back. "You didn't know and it's all in the past now anyway. Bella's happy again – happier than she has ever been – since the two of you met at the hospital."

"Still..." I started, only to be cut off by both Jasper and Emmett.

"Stop worrying about things that are out of your hands Edward." Jasper stated, putting a hand on my shoulder. "If you keep living in the past you are never going to be happy. Focus on the good things. You've found her again and you got back together. That's reason to fucking celebrate man!"

I nodded. I would never be able to forgive myself for hurting Bella so much, but I also realized that it would do me – us – no good if I kept beating myself up over it.

"Well, how about we go back to Bella's to move the last of the boxes before we have to pull out the old handkerchiefs and start telling each other how much we love one another," Emmett boomed. "Cause we're starting to sound like a bunch of chicks on Oprah!"

Our laughter was drowned out by the roaring of the engine as we sped back to Bella's old apartment – or rather Alice's new apartment – a few blocks away.

When we made it over to Bella's I was greeted by a sight that made my blood boil. Some guy was standing in the doorway, cornering my Bella, my beautiful Bella who had a frightened look in her eyes.

--

BPOV

--

Without thinking I walked to the door. I thought Emmet, Edward and Jasper had some back to pick up more boxes.

"How the hell did you manage to get everything unpacked so..." I started, pulling open the door.

I was met by Mike Newton, grinning like he had just swallowed a very tasty canary.

"How the hell did you get my address?" I yelled. I had never given it to him and I sure as hell didn't like the fact that he found out where I lived.

"Telephone book," he beamed back at me. He seemed rather proud of his own stakerish behavior.

"Mike, what are you doing here?" I asked, still baffled by the nerve of the guy.

"I figured that if the mountain didn't come to Mahomet, there was nothing else to do for Mahomet but come to the mountain." he was trying to sound seductive, though he failed miserably.

He started to really creep me out now. Before I had just thought of him as a hopeless little looser. I'd even felt sorry for him. Now he was starting to act like a scary stalker I knew I had done better to put him in his place a long time ago.

"I thought I told you to get the hell away from me!" I grunted. Where did he get the idea that I wanted him to come to me. Did he still think I was just playing hard to get?

"Come on, Bella! You know you want me!" he whined, trying to squirm his way into my apartment. "You're just saying you don't to make me want you more but you really don't have to. Can't you see how hard I already am for you?" He thrust his hips in my direction, brushing his hands over the bulge in his pants. I didn't know what I'd rather do at that moment: throw up or punch his lights out.

"Back off you creep!" I yelled, trying to remember some of the stuff Rose had taught me at self defense. "I don't want you. I never wanted you and I never will want you. Not even if you're the last fucking guy on earth!"

I wanted to slam the door in his face but he stepped onto the threshold, cutting short my actions like some kind of perverted door-to-door salesman.

"We were meant to be together," he beamed, the idea that I found him repulsive still not hitting home. "You know that as well as I do."

I took a few involuntary steps back, which only made Mike follow me into the apartment. Damn.

"For your information: I already have a boyfriend whom I love very much and who is able to fulfill every need I might have," I hissed. "And even if I didn't, I would sooner turn into a lesbian than allow you to lay one finger on me!"

Still he didn't get the message. He just stood there on the threshold, smiling like some kind of lunatic, his hand in his pocket, doing God know what.

I was starting to get a little desperate when the answer to my problems came strolling into my peripheral vision.

Edward tensed as he took in the scene in front of him - his eyes flashing from my scared face to Mike who was glaring at the unwanted intruder – his face took on a murderous expression that send tickles down my spine.

"Is there a problem?" Edward velvety voice asked. Even though his face seemed perfectly smooth and composed his voice sounded dangerous, predatory. It set my whole body on fire. If I didn't want him to kick Mike's ass as much as I did I would have dragged him back into the apartment for a round of hot steaming sex that instant.

Before Mike could even answer the question he had pushed him out of the apartment and moved to my side, standing slightly in front of me in a protective stance, one of his arms wrapped around my waist while the other was clenched into a fist.

"Are you alright, love?" he grunted, his eyes never leaving Mike's face.

"I am," I stated. "he didn't hurt me."

"But he scared you," Edward snarled, inching forward to pounce on an increasingly nervous looking Mike.

"He did," I answered. There was no point denying it, even if I had wanted to. Edward had seen the look on my face as he entered the hallway.

"Who the hell are you?" Mike yelled, retrieving his unfounded confidence.

"Edward Cullen. Bella's boyfriend," Edward spat at him.

"But..." Mike seemed puzzled for a moment.

"What?" Edward huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Bella is supposed to be my girlfriend," Mike said, trying to sound confident.

Edward smirked sarcastically. "Oh, really?" He scrunched up his eyebrows. "Last time I checked she was mine and I don't share. Ever. Now go away."

Mike glared at the both of us before shrugging his shoulders. Apparently he didn't feel like battling it out with Edward. He turned towards me as he tried to make a dramatic exit.

"You were never worth it anyway," he whispered, "you're just a little slut who likes to play mind games."

Before I could react to his words Mike was already writhing in pain in the floor, clutching his nose with both hands.

"You broke my nose you fucking idiot," he cried as he tried to scramble to his feet while clutching his bleeding nose with one hand.

"I'll give you five seconds to get the hell away from her before I break something other than your nose," Edward snarled, his body tensed to pounce on Mike if needed.

Mike sprang to his feet and sped away from us like a bat out of hell, only to meet with Jasper and Emmett who where standing by the stairs. As Mike tried to sneak past them Emmett shoved him into the wall.

"Consider us your personal restraining order," he grunted. "If we ever find you sniffing around my sister again you'll be breathing out of a hose. Is a that clear?"

Mike nodded, a small drizzle of blood running from his nose. I could see from where I was standing that all of his usual brawn had left his face, making him look just like the skinny little looser he really was.

"Good," Emmett glowered, releasing Mike who ran down the stairs as soon as his feet made contact with the floor again.

"Nice punch!" Emmett complimented as he walked over to us.

"Thanks!" Edward replied, shaking his hand in front of him. I hoped he hadn't caused any damage to it. A surgeons hands were sacred.

"I was starting to you think you'd go into total caveman mode and throw Bella over your shoulder to have your wicked way with her!" Jasper boomed.

Edward grinned as if the thought had indeed crossed his mind.

"Don't answer that," Emmett said, waving his hands in front of him defensively. "I may be okay with the two of you being together now, but there's certain things I don't want to know about my baby sister and the two of you having sex sure as hell is one of them!"

"I'll go get you some ice," I told Edward, almost running into the apartment, blushing furiously.

As I was fumbling about the fridge, looking for the icepack I had stashed in there somewhere I could feel a familiar pair of arms wrap around my waist.

"You have no idea how right Jasper was back there," he whispered in my ear, the evidence of his words pressing into my back.

"Oh, I think I have a perfect notion of that," I grinned, softly brushing my hands over the front of his pants.

He hissed. "Do you think Emmett and Jasper would notice if we sneaked into the bedroom to say a proper goodbye to your apartment?"

"I thought we did that last night?" My knees nearly gave out when the thoughts of what we had done last night – and this morning – drifted back into my mind.

"I wouldn't mind a repeat of that," he growled, pulling me closer, his hands inching along my sides to the edge of my pants.

I could hear the voices of Emmett and Jasper in the distance, coming back up to collect more of the boxes.

"Later," I sighed. Rose would kill me if I gave Emmett a heart attack. "Now do you still want the ice?"

"Yes please," he stated, taking the icepack from me.

Instead of placing it on his hand he pressed it to his neck, groaning with delight as the coolness of the ice made contact with his hot skin. I had to bite my lip to keep myself fro drooling yet again as my eyes followed the tiny drops of moisture that started to run down his neck and into the collar of his sweater.

"You need ice?" he chuckled.

"Bastard," I grumbled under my breath. "Go take care of your hand. I'll go see if Emmett and Jasper need any help.

I needed to get away from the sex god in front of me before I started tearing at his clothes.

A few hours later Emmett grabbed the last box as I checked to see if we had everything. If felt strange to walk around my empty apartment, but I realized I wasn't going to miss it. I had everything I wanted waiting for me a few blocks away.

"Are you ready?" Edward asked from the hallway.

"I am," I replied, smiling as I took his hand.

With that I closed the door on old Bella.

_**Don't worry. This isn't the final chapter yet, this is just the ending of the second part of the story before we move to the third. If you reread the first couple of chapters I think you might discover how I intend to end this story but before we get to that there is going to be some more drama (Renee, Lauren, Tanya and the Volturi twins will all come back into play at some point, causing some drama).**_

_**Initially I intended this to be two chapters but when I got back to them I thought they were horribly short to stand on their own so I combined them to give you one big (8500+ words!) chapter. I hope the transfer within this chapter isn't to big.**_

_**In the next chapter Carlisle and Esme will make their appearance and you'll find out how many references to medical tv-series can fit in one chapter ;-) I can give away that one of them is the surname I came up with for Caius...**_

_**This might be another one of those three chapter weeks. You know what you have to do to make it happen...**_


	20. Meet the parents

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Meet the parents.**

As I walked out of the school on Wednesday afternoon I felt like throwing up. Even though I had talked to Esme on the phone a few times and I knew I had nothing to fear from her I was still dreading this meeting.

I was going to fetch them from the airport immediately after picking up Libby from Kindergarten. Edward was still working and couldn't get away from the hospital. Alice couldn't be there either since the holiday season meant that she was generally up to her eyeballs in work. So that meant that apart from having the dreaded meeting with the parental units this would also be the first time I would assume sole command over Edwards precious Volvo.

I swear, every time we went near the damn car Edward would go all Gollem over it. I still wondered why he even let me use it. He had been fussing about it all yesterday evening, demanding I read the entire owners manual to his precious car from cover to cover so that I would know when something was wrong. When he got to the point where he wanted to take me for a test run – and judging by the tone of his voice he didn't mean that as some kind of sexual innuendo - to see if my driving was up to scratch I rolled my eyes at him and offered to just take a cab. Of course he wouldn't hear anything about that.

So here I was, carefully navigating through the streets of New York. I was insanely thankful for the fact that Emmett had felt it his duty to keep my driving abilities up to speed by letting me drive his Jeep every few months, though the cars were as different as a lion and a mountain lion. The only thing they had in common was that they were both called 'car' and that they had an engine.

I quickly picked Libby up from Kindergarten and strapped her into the booster seat in the back. She was uncommonly quiet and thoughtful as we drove towards La Guardia airport. Usually I didn't even bother turning on the radio when I was driving somewhere with Libby, her talking made any other diversion unnecessary.

"Is everything alright honey?" I asked, as yet another minute passed in silence.

"Hmmm," she murmured distractedly, confirming my suspicion that something was off.

"What's the matter, sweetie? Was everything alright at school?" I tried again.

"Oh," she sighed. "Everything is fine. I'm just kind of scared about meeting daddy's parents today. What if they don't like me?"

I had been so caught up in my own fearful anticipation of meeting Edwards parents that I hadn't even stopped to wonder how Libby was feeling about all of this.

"I'm absolutely one hundred percent sure they will like you Libs," I said. How could anyone not melt at the sight of this little girl?

My words must have had the effect they aimed for because Libby's face lit up like a candle and she got that look on her face that heralded an upcoming round of questions.

"What do they look like? Do you think it's okay if I give them a hug? Can I call them grandma and granddad?" Libby was as jumpy as I was and as usual her jumpiness resulted in her firing questions at me like an AK74.

"If you want me to answer your questions, you're going to have to give me a chance to do so!" I laughed.

Libby shut her mouth and looked at me expectantly.

"I don't know what they look like," I started. "They are going to call us as soon as they've landed to discuss a meeting place. I think they'll love it if you give them a hug and I don't think they'll mind if you call them granddad and grandma. Do you want to call them that?"

I didn't want her to feel forced to do anything. I realized her world had been changing just as fast as mine had and for a five year old that was a lot to take in.

She nodded.

"I think I would like having grandparents. All my friends at school like theirs," she mused.

I felt my heart break and cursed Renee inwardly for never even sending Libby a birthday card. When she had heard of the birth of little Charlie she had immediately sent a huge gift basket with a sappy note attached to it. Even though Emmett had torn the note up and thrown it away the moment he saw it, the fact that my mother actually acknowledged Charlie when she kept on ignoring Libby had broken my heart all over again.

I was still at a loss as to how we would be expected to be in the same room in a few weeks without it turning into a total bitch fight. I had so many things to say to her, few of which would be suitable for other people's ears. I would just have to find a way to make it work out. Maybe I could hide in the toilets during the reception or something. I didn't want to embarrass Rose and Emmett on their wedding day.

We found a parking spot near the terminal and I quickly called Esme. We arranged to meet at the arrivals area and I told them what we looked like. It was pretty easy. All they had to do was look out for a woman holding a little girl that had the same green eyes as Edward.

As we were waiting I spotted a man and a woman and instantly knew they were Edward's parents. They looked like they had just wandered out of a photo shoot for 'Home & Garden' and something in the woman faintly reminded me of Alice. I didn't know what it was. It might have been her open expression or her capability to move through the throngs of people at the airport with the grace and agility of a runway model.

As soon as they had spotted Libby and me the woman waved at us and quickly walked our way.

"Mrs. Cullen?" I asked, as she reached us.

"Esme," she smiled. "Mrs. Cullen sounds so...old. Like I should be making inquiries for a burial plot."

I laughed. "I'm Bella, and this is Libby."

The man who was with her had joined us as well, pushing a cart with their luggage on it in front of him. "Carlisle," he said, stretching out his hand. The man could give George Clooney a run for his money in the looks department. He had that same kind of aura of a distinguished ruggishly handsome older gentleman.

As soon as Carlisle had dropped my hand, Esme had pulled me into a hug.

"I'm so glad to finally meet the two of you," she whispered as she let me go.

Libby was looking at Esme with eager anticipation.

"Are you my grandmother?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"Yes I am," Esme said with a heartwarming smile on her face. "Do you want to give me a hug?"

Before she had time to finish her question Libby had flung herself into Esme's arms. Esme lifted her her up and hugged her close.

"You're so beautiful," she muttered and I could hear the tears in her voice. "I'm so glad to meet you."

After a while she passed Libby over to Carlisle who seemed just as taken with her as Esme had been. Libby remained silent, though I could see by the huge smile on her face that she wasn't scared or overwhelmed.

"Do you want to go over to our home?" I asked.

Esme nodded feverishly. "I would love to see how everything worked out. Alice emailed me some photo's of the place and everything seems to be looking fabulous, but I'm still very curious about the real thing."

"Thank you for your advice on doing the place up, by the way," I thanked her as we got into the car.

"It is I who should be thanking you," she said as she sat down next to Libby on the back seat. "It's kind of a hobby of mine to do up old places. I would have loved to have been an interior decorator."

"I heard you worked as an appraiser for Sotheby's," I asked, reminding what Edward had told me about his parents. I kept my eyes on the road as we left the parking lot at the airport and drove back towards the city.

"Yes, I specialize in antique furniture. That's where my passion for internal decorating comes from."

"You would be amazed to find out how many of the catalog ends up in our home," Carlisle chuckled, his smile instantly reminding me of Edward's. "We have a whole warehouse stocked with furniture we never use!"

"Oh, hush!" Esme scolded. "You don't hear me complaining about your long hours do you?"

"What is an appraiser grandma?" Libby asked.

"Do you know what an auction is?" Esme asked.

Libby nodded.

"Well, before they are ready to sell the furniture in the auction room the people who are selling it need to know what it's worth. That's what I do. I study the things they are going to sell and try to find out how much they are worth."

"What is the most expensive thing you've ever seen?" Libby asked.

Esme's eyes lit up. "I think the most expensive thing I ever handled was a Fabergé Egg which sold for almost ten million dollars a few years ago."

"An Egg?" Libby asked, her eyes huge with wonder.

"It's not a real egg," she explained. "It's a piece of art, shaped like an egg."

"Oh," Libby said, still not satisfied. "Why is it worth so much?"

"Partly because it was decorated with fifteen hundred tiny little diamonds, but most of all it was because the czar of Russia had it made for his mom as an easter gift a few years before he was murdered?"

"Like Anastasia's dad?" Libby asked. She had seen the Disney version of Anastasia not so long ago.

"The czar was in fact Anastasia's dad," Esme laughed.

"I still can't believe someone would pay ten million dollars for an egg," Libby mused.

"Neither can I," Esme laughed. "But it was a pretty egg. Maybe I can show you some pictures of it once we get to your place."

We pulled up in front of my new home not long after that, Carlisle and Esme both seemly taken in with our new home.

"I love the character of the place," Esme stated, holding Libby by the hand. It was amazing to see how quickly the two of them had bonded.

The house did look very good in daylight. The reddish brown stones made it look cozy and appealing while the gray arches above the large square windows gave the place a certain stateliness. I loved the attention to detail the builders had put into the front facade. There were even a few beautiful borders of intricately carved stone making the place look like a palace.

"Let's get inside," I said, opening the door to get out of the chilly November air.

Inside we had kept the decorations as neutral as possible sticking to a white and wood theme where we could. The only exception to that rule had been the large Persian rugs that were placed on the polished wooden floors and the dark blue sofa's in the living room. White sofa's just weren't very practical when you had a messy five year old living in the house.

Before they had even had a chance to take a look around Libby had pulled Carlisle and Esme up the stairs to show them her room, another room that had been excluded from the original color scheme.

Alice had gone wild in there, having everything painted pink and filling the place with girly frilly stuff and a huge canopy bed filled with enough pink pillows and blankets to make the princess from _The Princess and the Pea_, see green with envy.

"Did Alice decorate this room?" Carlisle asked, pulling up one of his eyebrows.

I nodded.

"Figures," he mused. "It looks like Hello Kitty threw up all over the place."

"Libby reminds me of Alice when she was little," Esme added. "She's so open and exuberant."

"And she liked her clothes," I added, pointing over to the huge wardrobe that graced the back wall. "She has more clothes than me!"

"But that's because you're fashion impaired," Libby stated with a serious look on her face. No doubt Alice and Rose had taught her to say that.

"Say what?" I asked as I could hear Carlisle and Esme trying desperately to keep in their chuckles.

"It's like a handicap," she explained patiently, "you need the help of those who have a better sense of fashion than you have or something will go horribly wrong." It was like she had learned it by heart. This definitely had Rose and Alice written all over it.

"So that's what you were doing when you helped aunt Rose and aunt Alice throw out half my clothes?" I scolded, playfully swatting her bind. "You were _helping_ me?"

"Yup," she chuckled, before turning around and skipping down the stairs again.

--

"Soooooo," Libby started, as soon as Esme and Carlisle had settled into their room and had come down for coffee. "Daddy says you're a doctor too."

"I am," Carlisle smiled.

"What kind of doctor are you?" she asked.

"I fix people's brains," Carlisle answered.

I was afraid Libby's eyes would pop out of her head. "You fix people's brains?" she yelled. "that's so cool! What do they look like?"

As Carlisle explained the ins and outs of his job to Libby, who was hanging on his every word, Esme and I went into the kitchen to start preparations for tomorrows dinner.

As I arranged everything we needed on the worktop, a few moments of awkward silence passed. I wanted to say something meaningful, something that would impress Esme, but unfortunately my mind couldn't come up with anything at the moment.

"I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that Edward found you again," Esme said, finally breaking the silence.

"I'm glad to hear that," I said, smiling at her.

"I swear, I hardly recognized his voice when he called me a few weeks ago to tell me he had met you again."

I smiled, thinking back on my own happiness at having found the love of my life again after five years of separation.

"And then when he told me he had a child I heard something I thought I would never hear again in my entire life," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "I heard happiness."

"You have to see...," she continued, "Edward was such a sweet and loving boy when he was young but when he hit puberty he started to close himself off from the world. He would spend hours alone in his room or walking through the forest, hiding away from the world and every time Carlisle or I would try to talk to him he would just...pull up the shutters and hide behind them."

I nodded. I had had my own experience with Edward keeping up his defenses.

"Then of course there were his early days at college. Did he ever tell you about them?" she asked hesitantly.

"He did," I acknowledged.

"As a mother you hope never to hear about your son behaving like that. It broke my heart. Not just because his actions showed a total disrespect for himself and the people around him, but also because I knew that the motor behind all of that was the pain of losing his parents and I felt like a bad step mom for not being able to take away his pain. It was like I had failed him."

We both had tears in our eyes at that point. I could imagine how poor gentle Esme must have felt.

"After I forced him to talk about it he felt so guilty. He really felt like a monster and after we talked he threw himself into his studies in a frantic attempt to redeem himself. Then he met you," she paused and smiled at me.

"Did you know he called me the morning after he had first met you? For the first time in years I could hear something of the carefree boy I had grown to love so much in his voice again. It made me hope it wasn't too late for him to find happiness and satisfaction in life."

She sighed. "Then when he lost you the shutters came back up. He got back to being closed off and distant again, but this time he had also lost hope. It was like he had given up on ever being happy again. We all tried to comfort him in our own ways but he wouldn't let us in, eventually even moving to New York to get even farther away from us. Only Alice wouldn't give up," Esme smiled. "She never gives up. But even she couldn't penetrate his armor. That was...until he met you again."

Esme walked over to me and took my hand. I could see her looking at me trough the haze of moisture that had appeared in my eyes.

"You have had to see him to appreciate the huge changes you brought about in him. I will always...always be indebted to you and love you with all my heart because you brought back the loving and carefree boy I raised." She pulled me into a tight embrace, the both of us sobbing uncontrollably at that point.

"Well," Esme said after a while, trying to straighten herself out again. "If we don't get down to business right now we can kiss our dinner tomorrow goodbye!"

"I guess you're right," I grinned, picking up a knife to start cutting up the vegetables while Esme worked on the potatoes.

I was still thinking about Esme's words and how they fit in with everything Edward had already told me while peeling and slicing the vegetables. I forgot that after a very nasty incident a few years ago I had made a promise to myself to always keep totally focused on the job at hand when dealing with sharp tools and so it wasn't surprising that about half way through my work I felt a sharp pain in my hand.

"Ouch!" I cried, watching the blood seep out of a huge gash in my hand. It was the last thing I remembered before the world around me turned black.

--

"I think she will be alright," I heard Carlisle deep voice say. "She just banged her head."

There was a throbbing sensation in my hand and I remembered cutting it right before I fainted. Why did I always have to make such a spectacle of myself?

I could feel Libby's tiny hands stroking my hair and as I tried to open my eyes, blinking at the bright lights of the kitchen I saw her looking down at me, her face edged with worry.

"Are you alright mommy?" she asked, stroking my cheek just as I would do when she fell down.

"I'll be fine sweetie," I reassured her. "You know mommy can't stand the sight of blood."

She nodded, but I could see she was still watching me like a hawk.

I moved to sit up, the gentle hands of the doctor restraining me. There were already bandages on my hand, tied tightly to stop the bleeding.

"I'd like you to keep down until I've given you a quick check up. Can you do that?" he asked.

I nodded.

He did all the usual things – having me follow his finger with my eyes, making me remember stuff and looking into my eyes with a little light – things I must have done a hundred times before.

"I think you're fine," he said much to my relief, "but I'd like to take you over to the hospital just the same. Edward would kill me if I didn't take you in for an MRI. You banged your head on the worktop pretty hard."

There was a faint throbbing in my head, but nothing to alarm me. I knew I was fine. I wasn't queasy or dizzy. Apart from the pain in my hand I felt fine.

Carlisle silenced me before I could say anything. "Please, just humor me, or there's going to be hell to pay when Edward gets back."

I rolled my eyes and nodded. During the last few weeks I'd had more than a few experiences with Edwards overprotective side when it came to Libby and me.

"But the food...Libby..." I knew I was getting nowhere but I had to try.

"Don't worry about that, dear. I'll take care of everything over here," Esme reassured me, a quick movement of her head indicating that she meant Libby with that as well.

"Well, we'd better get going then," I sighed, getting my purse and the keys to the Volvo.

"You're not thinking of driving, are you?" Carlisle asked with a hint of irony.

I growled angrily, tossing the keys at him and getting into the passenger seat of the car.

As we walked up to the reception desk at the hospital I recognized one of the women from a few weeks back standing behind it and, judging by the scowl that appeared on her face as soon as she saw me, she remembered me as well.

"Back so soon?" she grinned evilly.

I nodded, meanwhile trying to come up with a plan to slowly and painfully torture the bitch to death.

"She cut her hand on a kitchen knife and fainted. When she went down she banged her head on the table. I think she needs an MRI just to be on the safe side," Carlisle stated calmly. "Oh, and could you page doctor Cullen for us?"

The women redirected her scowl form me to Carlisle.

"And who might you be?" she asked sarcastically.

"I'm doctor Carlisle Cullen, Edward Cullen's father."

The woman's eyes grew huge and the color left her face. "I'll get to it immediately. If you could wait in chairs a doctor will be there as soon as possible."

Carlisle nodded and escorted me back to the waiting area. I was completely puzzled. This wasn't just because of what Alice had said a few weeks back, was it? Why was everyone acting like Prince Charles and his entourage had just wandered into the hospital?

A doctor came to take us trough in record time. He also spoke very reverently to Carlisle, discussing every step in my treatment profusely with him before continuing. I made a mental note to ask Edward about that later.

I had a sense of deja-vu as Edward stormed into the room, right after I'd come back from my unnecessary MRI

"What happened?" he demanded, cringing at the sight of my bloody hand which the ER-doc was currently sowing up.

"I forgot that the motor impaired shouldn't be playing with knives," I joked, trying to make my voice sound as light as possible.

Edward, Carlisle and the ER doctor launched into some kind of discussion involving a lot of medical terms which gave me the chance to zone out and contemplate my day.

Carlisle and Esme were really nice people and the fact that they had accepted Libby and me into their family so readily had really warmed my heart. I couldn't believe how much my life had changed for the better over the last couple of weeks. I felt almost...guilty for being so happy.

"Bella?" Edward asked, sounding concerned, "are you alright?" He looked back at the ER-doc. "Are you serious the MRI showed no damage?"

"I'm fine, Edward," I smiled. "I was just deep in thought."

He sighed in relief. "I was just talking to my dad. He's going to take a cab home to Esme. She doesn't like being alone. Would you mind waiting at the hospital for a bit? I only have another hour to go on my shift and I could drive us home when I'm finished."

"That's fine by me," I agreed. What wouldn't be fine about spending some extra time with Edward?

As soon as the doctor had finished stitching me up and Edward had done his own additional testing to see if there really wasn't anything wrong with my brain, he offered to show me around the surgical department, an offer I gladly accepted. I had been curious about the surgical department – one of the few spaces in the hospital I hadn't seen for myself – for some time now.

We said goodbye to Carlisle before one of the doctors escorted him back to the exit. My eyes grew huge. Normally you'd be happy if one of the staff would be so kind as to point you in the general direction of the exit - not that I needed that, I'd been here so often I could give guided tours – I'd never had a doctor walk me back before.

"Is Carlisle some kind of prince I never knew of?" I asked.

"Silly Bella," Edward chuckled, kissing me lightly on the cheek while he brushed a few strands of hair that had fallen out of my ponytail back. "Carlisle is one of the best neurosurgeons in the country, maybe even in the world. Everyone knows him."

"Ah," I replied, the proverbial light bulb appearing above my head. "That explains a thing or two."

Edward escorted me over to the elevators – making sure once again that I was fine - and pressed the button. As I turned around I noticed we were the only people in there.

Edward, standing behind me, made the most of this opportunity. His hands went down to my ass as his lips came down on my neck, sucking on the exposed skin.

"Good lord! That elevator stuff in Grey's Anatomy is something you guys really do?" I yelled, nearly flying into the corner of the elevator in shock.

He chuckled, before he started to slowly stalk towards me, his eyes shining with the same kind of predatory sparkle as when he had decked Mike Newton a few days ago. I shuddered against the wall, my legs almost giving way.

"They do tend to get some of their stuff right," He said, his voice sounding low, seductive and dangerous. "Just wait until I show you the on call room..."

O lord. Did he just imply that he intended to have sex with me there? The thought alone made me have to grab hold of the handrail.

He reached the corner where I was still leaning against the wall and claimed my lips in a searing kiss. It was a good thing his hands had grabbed my waist and pulled me up against him because there was no way I was going to be able to stand on my own like this.

"Edward!" I whimpered, trying to catch my breath as his lips traveled to my neck. "What if someone sees us?"

"What if they do," he hummed against my skin, sending a tingling sensation down my spine. "You're mine and I want everyone to know that."

God! How did he always find the words to nearly make me come undone without him placing as much as a finger on me?

I pulled his face against mine again, kissing him with everything I had in me as my hands knotted themselves in his hair.

Right that moment the elevator came to a halt and an older couple stepped in. Now usually I was all for being kind to the elderly, but not when they had the nerve to interrupt a fierce make out session with my hot boyfriend. I tried to hide my glares and straighten myself out.

As we reached the floor that held most of the operation rooms I scrambled out of the elevator, still a little unsteady on my feat. The elderly couple must have been thinking I was a total idiot.

Edward chuckled, lacing his arm through mine and pulling me towards the front desk where a herd of doctors was talking animatedly.

"Everybody, this is Bella, my girlfriend." He sounded so proud when he introduced me to his fellow residents.

"Bella, these are the doctors Green, Corday, Benton, Carter, Kovac and Rasgotra," he said, indicating who was who. I had no doubt I was going to forget all about their names before I had even left the hospital – I had never been good with names, not exactly a good quality when you had to memorize the names of your new pupils at the beginning of every school year - but for now I smiled and waved politely.

They all greeted me with smiles and hello's. "You've already met Kate and Garrett of course."

"Fall down again?" Kate chuckled.

"Nope, cut myself and then fell down this time," I smirked back, waving my injured hand in front of her.

"Squeamish about blood?" Garrett joked.

I nodded, much to the hilarity of the other doctors. They all seemed to think my aversion to blood was hugely entertaining.

"Red alert! Gird your loins!" One of the doctors – Carter? - suddenly yelled, effectively silencing all conversation. "Old yeller is coming over."

Suddenly three of the interns had disappeared into a nearby room faster than lightning, the others frantically grabbing charts and scribbling information down, trying to look busy.

I looked up at Edward, confusion clear on my face.

"My boss is kind of...peculiar."

There wasn't much time to explain anything else because soon I saw two men emerge from one of the corridors. One of them – probably the boss – had a scowl etched permanently onto his face. His huge blue eyes seemed to pierce through everything they met, as if he had the ability to make everything crumble in front of him. His white hair masked his thin face, making him look creepy but also strangely intriguing. I could suddenly see why nobody wanted to draw too much attention to themselves in front of him.

The other man couldn't have been more different. He had a kind face and his brown eyes looked into the world with a warm and open expression. You couldn't help but like him as soon as you saw him. I wondered how he could have been so at ease with the other man next to him.

The two came to a halt in front of us, the creepy blue-eyed man staring at me with an unnerving kind of fascination. I could feel Edward tense up next to me.

"Aren't you supposed to be working doctor Cullen?" he asked, never averting his gaze from me. "Why aren't you over there with the rest of the drones, looking busy?"

Edward took in a deep breath."I was just showing my girlfriend around," he stated.

"Is that what they call our patients nowadays?" The man frowned, looking at my bandaged hand.

"She had an accident in the kitchen, my dad brought her in."

"Well," he said impatiently, "Aren't you going to introduce me to the lovely little lady?'

"Doctor House, doctor Wilson, may I present my girlfriend Isabella Swan," he started reluctantly. I could tell this wasn't a meeting he had been looking forward to. "Bella, this is my boss, doctor Caius House and doctor Marcus Wilson, the head of oncology."

"Lovely," doctor House smirked, shaking my hand. I felt an unpleasant shiver run down my spine as my hand came in contact with his. His skin was too cold and the texture of it felt wrong somehow. Everything in my body seemed to recoil from his touch and yell at me to get the hell away from him. I wondered how his patients could stand to have him near them, let alone perform surgery on them.

We spend another few awkward moments in each others company before doctor House and doctor Wilson excused themselves. All the residents breathed a sigh of relieve as they disappeared into a corridor.

"You were right," I said as soon as they were out of earshot. "Your boss is...interesting."

"He's a genius," Edward mused, "but I guess he prefers people to be...unconscious."

I grinned, thinking how doctor House's patients would probably prefer to be unconscious when they met him as well.

"Now, I remember you saying something about an on-call room?" I was in serious need of something to distract me from my run in with Edward's boss.

"Ms. Swan, are you trying to seduce me?" he asked in mock surprise.

"You bet your ass I am, even if you just threw the most cheesy line in the world at me," I replied, rolling my eyes.

He chuckled before pulling me trough the corridors and into an obscure dark little room. As soon as he had closed the door he almost threw me against it and assaulted my lips. Luckily the room was currently empty or we would have provided a night little bit of entertainment for Edward's colleagues.

"I've wanted to do that all day..." he whispered against my lips.

"I've wanted you to do that all day," I replied, biting softly on his bottom lip. He groaned and brought his lips down on mine again. I let my tongue glide along his lips and he opened his mouth for me, groaning as I started to caress his tongue with mine.

His hands cupped my ass, pulling me closer against him as I started to unbutton his shirt with my good hand. I groaned in frustration as I found out that unbuttoning single handedly was a skill I hadn't mastered yet.

"Allow me," Edward chuckled, putting me back onto the floor before almost tearing his shirt open. He shrugged both his shirt and his white coat to the floor before grabbing my hand and pulling me in between his legs as he sat down on one of the bunk beds.

His hands made quick work of the buttons on my blouse exposing my blue lace bra.

"You know how much I like that color against your skin," he muttered, fondling my breast through the thin fabric. In the end he pushed the fabric aside and pulled me on his lap as his mouth traced a path from my neck to my aching mounds.

I let out a guttural groan as he bit down on my taut nipple, my head falling backwards as my hand weaved through his hair.

He leaned back onto the bed, flipping us over so that I was underneath him while keeping most of his weight off me. As our kisses grew more heated by the minute our bodies moved against each other, creating a nice kind of friction.

I had just started to unbutton his pants when I was startled by a shrill beeping sound.

"Oh, please God no!" Edward groaned.

I looked at him in total confusion.

"It's my pager," Edward growled in frustration as he rolled off me and picked up his white coat from the floor. "I need to go see what's going on," he sighed. "Will you wait for me by the nurses station?"

I nodded, rearranging my clothes in a futile effort to not make me look like I almost had sex in the on call room. I just hoped I wouldn't run into anyone I knew.

No such luck.

Almost as soon as I made my way out of the little darkened room I saw Kate leaning agaist the wall grinning like an idiot.

"What?" I asked, still frustrated because of the interruption.

"The beds in the on call room are nice, aren't they?"

"I wouldn't know," I grumbled. "Damn sick people interrupted us."

"Welcome to my life..." Kate giggled. "You want to go get some coffee? I have some Godiva stashed in my locker for just this kind of occasion."

Kate and I spend the rest of Edwards shift drowning our frustrations in chocolate while Kate shared some stories about the crazy things she had come across during her residency.

--

I awoke the next morning in the arms of Edward, a rare event since Edward generally had to be at the hospital very early and always snuck out of the house in an effort not to wake Libby and me.

I glanced around the room relishing in how great the house had come together. Like downstairs we had kept with the white-and-wood decor, the only exception being the beautiful wrought iron bed and it's dull gold coverings Edward had bought for our third date.

A goofy grin crept on my face as I thought back on last night. Edward had made it his personal mission to make up for being interrupted before and boy did he deliver! At first I had felt a little uncomfortable with having sex while Edwards parents where under the same roof, but Edward had made me forget all about that very soon. The things he could do with his hands...It was a good thing he had insisted on soundproofing our bedroom or I might have had to set up camp in the here permanently.

I slipped out from under the covers, showered, got dressed and tiptoed to the kitchen to get everything ready for the big Thanksgiving dinner I would be serving today. Esme had finished most of the preparations after Carlisle had taken me to hospital last night but I needed to start prepping the turkey since that one needed to cook longest.

The kitchen had become my favorite room in the house. I had started to cook when I was young out of necessity. Renee wasn't the best of cooks and her experiments, though interesting, were often inedible. I still had chucks starting to rise in my throat whenever I thought back on the 'duck alla banana' she had prepared when I was four. In the end I found out I really liked to cook and it had been my dream to have a big eat in kitchen like the one I was standing in right now.

Esme joined me soon after I started making preparations and together we cooked breakfast and started working on dinner. When Edward, Libby and Carlisle came down we took some time off to join them at the big antique wooden table that took up the half of the kitchen not used for cooking.

Right before the game started Emmett, Rose, Alice and Jasper came over.

"You look like a mess!" I laughed as I opened the door to a very amused Alice and a very nervous looking Jasper.

"He's afraid of my parents," Alice beamed.

"They are pretty harmless, Jazz," I snorted. "Why don't you come in and meet them?"

"That's easy for you to say!" Jasper huffed. "You're all cute and cuddly and you have a little kid who's even more cute and cuddly. Everyone likes the two of you. I'm just the guy who's defiling their precious little daughter."

Alice almost rolled over the ground shaking with laughter. "Defiling?" she hiccuped. "I've gotta remember that one. Wait until my mom hears that!"

"I think the little pixie was 'defiled' some time before she met you," I laughed. "Now man up and get into the house to meet your future in laws."

He followed us like a lamb to the slaughter, much to the hilarity of Emmett and Edward, who started laughing at him as soon as they saw him enter the kitchen.

The introductions went fine and soon enough Jasper was staring to loosen up a little, especially when the game started and the men retreated to the living room with a stash of beer and snacks. As soon as they had they had turned their backs on us Alice started telling Esme of Jasper and his fears of being hated because of his 'corrupting' antic, much to the hilarity of Esme and Rose.

"It's good Emmett never worried about that, or he would never have dared to face my dad!" Rose giggled.

The rest of the afternoon passed smoothly. Dinner was lovely and having all my friends and my new family around me was pure bliss. I had to pinch myself to remind myself I wasn't dreaming. We were just polishing off the dessert that Esme had cooked when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Libby yelled, jumping up from her chair and skipping over to the hallway. I heard a faint murmur of conversation going on near the front door. As time went on I was staring to get a little nervous. I hoped there wasn't some pervert or kidnapper at the door. I was just rising to get up when I heard Libby's voice grow closer.

"Yes, mommy and daddy are home. I'll just get my mommy for you."

As I stepped into the hallway I immediately recognized the silhouette of the person standing in the doorway.

I froze.

"Libby, get back to the kitchen," I said, grabbing Libby by the collar of the pretty new dress that Alice had bought her and pulling her behind me.

"Daddy?" the all to familiar voice of my mom spoke...

_**Don't hate me for ending right there. The next chapter will be all about the confrontation with Renee.**_

_**I'm glad so many of you seem to be liking Libby and – even though the kiss is very smart for her age – you didn't appear to be freaked out by her finding everything out o soon. I don't have any real experience with little five year old girls. I mean, I have a few cousins I hardly ever see and I have been a five year old girl myself about twenty years ago, but that's pretty much it. So if I make any mistakes or if there is anything that's typical for five year old girls that I haven't picked up on, please let me know.**_

_**I couldn't resist putting an elevator scene in this chapter. It looked so sexy in my head, I hope I was able to transfer that into writing...I also couldn't resist giving Caius his last name. I think Caius is awesome with all his grumpiness and he kind of reminded me of Greg House. I tried to slip some original quotes in there – since I'm not too sure of my own skills at inventing sarcasm – but I couldn't find ones that fit the chapter. I hope I still did okay. I think I got just about every medical series I know referred to in this chapter...**_


	21. Stand my ground

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Stand my ground. (lemon)**

_We were just polishing off the dessert that Esme had cooked when the doorbell rang._

"_I'll get it!" Libby yelled, jumping up from her chair and skipping over to the hallway. I heard a faint murmur of conversation going on near the front door. As time went on I was staring to get a little nervous. I hoped there wasn't some pervert or kidnapper at the door. I was just rising to get up when I heard Libby's voice grow closer._

"_Yes, mommy and daddy are home. I'll just get my mommy for you." _

_As I stepped into the hallway I immediately recognized the silhouette of the person standing in the doorway._

_I froze._

"_Libby, get back to the kitchen," I said, grabbing Libby by the collar of the pretty new dress that Alice had bought her and pulling her behind me._

"_Daddy?" the all to familiar voice of my mom spoke... _

"Renee..." I gasped. What the hell was she doing here?

"Bella," she said.

"What are you doing here?"

"Can't a mother come to visit her only daughter for the holidays?" she asked.

"You took your bloody time to do that!" I huffed. "It's not like you've made the effort in the last five years."

"Things can change," she bit back.

"How did you get my address anyway? I don't remember sending you a change of address card."

"I came to see my grandson but Emmett wasn't at home. I figured he would probably be with you," she shrugged.

"That doesn't explain anything," I replied.

"You're not so hard to find. I got the address from the telephone book," she sneered.

She looked around her, taking in the house. I could see she was a bit taken aback by the fact that I seemed to have managed pretty well since she had severed her ties with me.

"You seem the have done pretty well for yourself," she remarked.

It wasn't so much the remark in itself that ticked me off, but the incredulous tone in which she said it. It was like she couldn't believe that I could have managed so well on my own. There was also envy in her tone, like she resented the fact that I had been able to make a success out of my life without her help.

"Why are you here anyway if all you want to do is insult me?" I asked. I wanted her to go away and get out of my life. Fast.

"As I said, I came to see my grandson," she insisted, taking a set closer to the door.

"Charlie's in bed right now, so you can't see him," I replied. "And even if he wasn't, I doubt Emmett would let you anywhere near him. You're not exactly high up on his favorite person list."

"And who's to blame for that?" Renee growled.

"If you're implying that's me, then I don't think you have a very good memory," I said, hopelessly trying to remain calm by reminding myself that my five year old daughter didn't need to see me attacking her grandmother right in front of her. "You walked out on me, remember? You left ME when I was alone and hurting."

"But you were the one that went and got herself knocked up," Renee sneered. "YOU were the one who ruined everything your father and I worked for all our lives. YOU were the one that stirred up the row between my son and me."

"What?" I asked incredulously. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Are you implying that I set Emmett up against you? You did that yourself when you turned your back on me. Emmett loves me and when you love someone you stick by them, even when you don't approve of their actions."

Right at that moment a door behind me opened and Edward walked into the hallway. "Are you alright?" he asked, taking in the scene in front of him. It must have been quite a sight. My mom and I, standing opposite each other, both trembling with rage.

"I'm fine," I replied, but my voice probably betrayed that I was anything but fine at the moment.

Renee took a good look at Edward and I saw that she was adding things up in her head. The perfect creamy white skin, the emerald green eyes...Libby looked too much like him for anyone not to notice that Edward was her father.

"Are you the asshole that ruined my daughters life?" she asked.

"Get the hell away from me Renee," I hissed. I was done being patient with my mother. It was one thing that she was going to insult me but there was no way I'd let her do the same thing to my loved ones.

"No, Bella, it's fine," Edward said, walking over to us. "I'm perfectly able to defend myself." He wrapped his arm tightly around my waist. I think his actions was meant both to comfort me and restrain me. We both knew that – relieving as it might be – no good could come out of me attacking Renee right now.

"If you're asking if I'm Libby's father, then yes, I am. I wouldn't call Bella's life ruined though. Quite the opposite in fact." I found myself jealous of his calmness and ability to remain reasonable.

"Bella got herself knocked up by a guy she hardly knew, dropped out off college and parasitized her older brother. If you don't call that a total disaster then I'm curious to see what is..." Renee spat.

I could feel the tears spilling over my eyes at Renee's cruel words. I cursed myself inwardly. I had promised myself to remain strong, not to cry. I wanted to show my mom that I wasn't the weak naive little girl I was five years ago anymore.

As I fought back the tears I could feel Edward tense beside me.

"If you came here to insult my girlfriend then I suggest you better go because I won't stand by and watch you hurt her," he warned.

"And what are you going to do?" Renee asked sarcastically, "call the cops on me? I have as much right to be here as you do."

"No," he said, still managing to keep his voice calm even though I could hear his anger trough his voice. "I'll just take Bella back inside, to her real family, and close the door on you."

Renee crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at him. "I'm not leaving until I've said my piece."

"Fine, but not now," I agreed. I knew my mother too well. If I wouldn't come to some kind of agreement with her tonight she would set up camp in front of my house and kick up a fuss until we - or the neighbors – called the cops. "I don't want you to ruin my day even further or upset my daughter any more than you've already done."

Renee tried to interrupt me but I held up my hand to silence her.

"I'm not going to budge on this. It's all or nothing. Meet me at Yorkie's diner tomorrow at noon and we'll talk." I wasn't exactly looking forward to the prospect of having to sit down and talk to my mothe, but I could see she was serious.

"Fine," Renee spat. "Where is this Yorkie's diner anyway?"

"It's just down the road," I said, pointing over to my left. "You can't miss it."

I tried to remain calm, but everything about my mother's behavior was setting me off. At this moment I really wanted to scream at her about the pain she had caused – and was still causing – but I knew that wouldn't get us anywhere. I just had to wait until tomorrow and hope I would keep my cool.

"Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Renee said, before turning and walking away.

I let my body fall limply against Edwards chest. The tension of having met my mother again had completely drained me. He enveloped me in his arms and just held me, resting his head on mine.

"It will be alright, Bella," he said after a while. "We'll go meet your mom tomorrow and talk and then we'll go back home and get on with our lives."

"I know," I sobbed. "It's just...Damn! I hate myself for letting her get to me like this!"

"It's okay, love," he soothed. "She's your mother, of course you care about what she thinks of you."

"It just hurts that even after all these years she still thinks I'm a total screw up. It makes me feel so...inadequate."

"Just remember the people that do love you and are proud of what you have achieved," he said, hugging me even closer. "I'm so proud of you. I can't even begin to describe it."

I snorted. "Yeah, because I sure made my mark on the world."

He took my face in his hands and forces me to look at him.

"Even though you had all the reasons in the world to just crawl into a corner and wallow – like I did – you went out and made something off yourself. You gave birth to and raised the most perfect little creature in the world and you managed to finish your education and get a top job in your field of profession. That _is_ something to be proud of Bella."

I tried to look away from him but he wouldn't let me.

"You don't see yourself clearly, Bella," he said. "You _are_ worth it."

I sighed. Laying my head against his chest, just relishing in his embrace. We stood there for a while, he holding me, whispering words of comfort in my ear while I breathed in his scent, trying to get a grip on myself again.

"Are you ready to go back in, love?" he whispered after a while. "I'm sure our family will be getting worried."

I nodded, unable to do much else. I was so tired all of a sudden. It was like the weight of the world pressed down on me.

He closed the front door, lifted me up and carried me bridal style into the living room. He gently placed me on the couch, resting my face on his lap. Almost as soon as he had put me down Emmett came into the living room.

"She was up to her old tricks again, wasn't she?" he asked, his voice trembling with anger.

"She was," Edward confirmed.

"How are you doing, squirt?" Emmett asked, kneeling beside me. His voice held so much tenderness it almost surprised me. It must have been the effects of fatherhood that made my huge bearlike brother go all soft and mushy.

"I'm fine, Emmett. Just a little drained," I sighed.

"She has that effect on people," he smirked, before turning serious again. "I'm sorry I didn't help you out there, sis. The others seemed to think you needed to deal with this by yourself."

I nodded. Having Emmett out there with me would only have added fuel to the fire.

"Thanks for giving me some space, Em." I said. "I have to deal with mom on my own. We've agreed to talk tomorrow and I think it will be good – in the end – to just have it out."

"I'm coming with you," he said. "I have a few things of my own I want to tell that woman."

"No, Emmett. Having you there with me isn't going to help things. I need to do this on my own," I sat up, looking both at Edward and Emmett. "I need to make her see that I'm not the same person I was five years ago, that I've grown and that she can't just exert her rights as a mother over me. I can't do that whilst hiding behind the two of you. I need to do this alone."

"But," Emmett and Edward said in unison.

I raised my hand to silence them.

"Please, just let me do this my way?" I pleaded.

They both sighed in defeat.

"Okay," Emmett said. "But I won't be held responsible for the consequences if she hurts you."

"Don't talk like that, Emmett," I sighed. "She's still your mother."

"I saw what she did to you, five years ago. How her words crushed you when all you needed was to be comforted and loved. How they still haunt you to this very day. She lost every right to call herself our mother that day."

"You don't mean that," I said calmly. "You love her, I know you do – as I do too – or you wouldn't have send her an invitation to your wedding."

Emmett looked away, mumbling something under his breath about how that was probably the biggest mistake he'd ever made in his life.

"You have to talk to her too, Emmett. Before the wedding. You have to give her a chance to clear the air. We owe her that much," I pleaded.

"We don't owe her anything," Emmett sulked, but I knew he would talk to Renee in the end.

"Let's get back to the kitchen," I said, trying to sound more cheerful than I was.

"Mommy!" Libby flung herself in my arms as soon as the three of us walked back into the kitchen.

Edward pulled me into his chair with him, seating me on his lap, with Libby sitting across from us.

"Who was that woman?" Libby asked tentatively.

"That was your grandmother," I said. "My mother."

"But..." Libby seemed puzzled, looking from Esme to the door.

"Esme is your grandmother too," Edward explained. "You have two grandmothers, my mother and Bella's mother."

She nodded, slowly understanding the ties that bound us all together. "Do I have two granddaddies as well?" she asked.

"You did," I replied, looking at Emmett. "But my dad died before you were born."

"That is sad," Libby said, her face falling. I knew she wasn't just sad about not being able to know her other grandfather, but also because she had seen the pained expression on my face when she had brought it up. She had always been very sensible to other people's feelings.

"It is," I sighed. "But don't feel bad about it, honey."

I pulled her onto my lap and kissed the top of her head, hoping Edward wouldn't mind carrying the three of us.

"Why was she yelling at you mommy?" Libby asked, craning her neck so she could look at me.

I sighed. "We had a fight...a long time ago. That's why you've never seen her before."

"So, she's still angry at you?" Libby asked.

I nodded. There was no need for Libby to know more than she did already.

"I don't like her," she stated, turning in my lap and wrapping her little arms around my neck. "She made you feel sad."

"You shouldn't say that sweetie," I sighed. "She's your grandmother. You shouldn't hate her."

I felt so torn apart at that moment. Sure, I hated my mother for what she had done to me and for what she was still doing to me. But still...she was my mother. The woman who raised me. Who comforted me after I had fallen down and let me sleep in her arms at night when I had a bad dream.

I spite of everything that had happened I had missed her during the past five years. When I had grown up we had been so close. Because my mother had never really grown up herself it had been as if we had been best friend. I could tell her everything.

Evey time something good or bad happened in my life my first instinct was to call my mom and talk to her about it. Not being able to do that for the last five years had made me realize how much I had missed it. How much I missed my mom.

I wished things could be much simpler. That I could just hate her.

I couldn't. I hated what she had done to me, but I could never hate _her_.

She was still my mom.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright squirt?" Emmett asked me as he put on his coat. He seemed so tense, as if he was standing on the edge of a big battle.

"I'm sure," I replied, trying to smile.

"If you need me, just call," he insisted. "Doesn't matter what time it is."

"I'll be fine, Em." I reassured him as he pulled me into a bone crushing hug.

"Same thing goes for me," Alice chirped, flinging herself on top of Emmett and me like some kind of rugby player.

"And what am I, chopped liver?" Rose smirked, holding a sleeping Charlie in her arms. "Come on, you dumb ass, let's just go home," she said, pulling Emmett out of the pile of body parts that now surrounded me.

While Edward brought Libby to bed Esme, Carlisle and I quickly cleaned up the mess in the kitchen. We decided to leave the dishes till tomorrow, just rinsing everything off for now.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Esme asked me after Carlisle had left. "I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to see her after everything that happened."

"I'm...okay," I said, "It's just the shock of finding her on my doorstep all of a sudden and knowing she still thinks badly of me..."

"It's okay to be upset, Bella," Esme said, gently taking my face in her hands. "You don't have to be strong all the time."

"I-I know," I sobbed, struggling to keep calm. "it's just that I know that if I break down today, I'm surely going to be breaking down tomorrow and I don't want that to happen. I'll just have to keep myself together until tomorrow afternoon."

Esme moved her hands to my shoulders, pulling me into a close hug. "Just know that I'm here whenever you want to talk, sweetheart. Even though we've just met and I'm not your mother – yet – I'd like to think of myself as just that."

"Thanks," I sighed into her shoulder. I wished Esme could have been my mom, though that would have made things with Edward a bit...weird.

I said goodnight to Carlisle and Esme and went upstairs. As I walked into the bedroom I could hear the shower running. I thought briefly about joining Edward in the shower but decided against it. I needed a few minutes to think about things.

I quickly stripped, put on a pair of pajama's and got on the bed, leaning against the throw pillows. I closed my eyes and tried to calm my nerves.

In spite of my exhaustion I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. The thoughts of my meeting with my mom and tomorrows appointment were still pressing heavily onto my shoulders. It would take a miracle for me to calm down enough to get some sleep.

"Edward?" I asked, as he walked out of the bathroom, his hair still wet and even more tousled that usual from his shower. He was only wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and the sight of his perfect chest, still glistening from his shower was exactly what the doctor ordered.

"Yes, love," he said, looking up at me.

"Can you just make me forget everything that happened today?"

"My pleasure," he chuckled, smiling my favorite smile.

He threw the towel he had been using to dry his hair to the side and practically jumped on the bed. The manner in which he crawled over to me had me thinking of a lion stalking it's prey and I shuddered with delight.

He hovered over me, his face flushed with desire and took my bottom lip in between his teeth, gently sucking on the skin. He kissed me briefly but passionately before moving his lips along my neck and the skin exposed above the edge of my top.

He started to open the buttons on my top with his teeth, his tongue licking and snapping at the skin he exposed. I groaned at the feeling.

"Like that, do you?" he asked, lapping at my belly button as his hands helped my arms out of the garment before he chucked it to the side.

"Edward," I groaned, my hips squirming involuntary.

"You didn't give me an answer," he chastised, lifting his head up from my stomach. "Now, what shall I do to punish you."

The look in his eyes made my mouth feel dry and wetness pool in between my legs. If he didn't take off my underwear any time soon it was going to get soaked.

"I-I don't k-know," I stammered, unable to compose a coherent sentence with him staring at me like that.

"Then I will just have to think of something myself," he chuckled.

He sat back on the bed, his right index finger resting on his lip, thinking about how to punish me. I just stared at him, my breathing still fast and labored, waiting for him to come up with something. The mischievous lights in his sparkling green eyes told me that whatever he was thinking of, it was going to be good. Very good.

"Now, Bella," he purred. "I want you to be a good girl and close your eyes."

"W-what?"

He leaned in and let his nose brush against my jaw before whispering. "Close your eyes, love."

I obeyed, wondering what he had in store for me.

I could feel him moving away from me, leaving the bed. He wasn't going to leave me here all hot and bothered, was he?

I could hear him moving about the room but I resisted the urge to sneak a peak at what he was doing. I wanted to be surprised. Suddenly the light that floated through my closed eyelids was gone. He must have switched off the lights.

The sagging of the mattress told me he had returned to the bed and before long I could faintly feel his breath caressing my skin. I struggles to keep my eyes closed. I wanted to see him, to let my eyes roam over his body, relishing in the fact that he was mine. All mine.

"Keep them closed, honey," he whispered in my ear and I nearly jumped at his sudden closeness.

Edward gently grabbed hold of my shoulders, leaning my body forward against his chest as his hands came around my body and tied something around my head. I could feel a piece of fabric – a scarf? - covering my eyes right before the world went completely black.

"Edward, what..." I said in shock.

He placed his finger over my lips, silencing me.

"Silence," his voice sounded strict and unyielding. "You don't speak unless you're spoken to. You don't move unless I tell you to move. Tonight I'm the master and you're the pupil and any violation of my rules will be severely punished."

I swallowed hard. Damn! Was he trying to kill me with his words?

I could feel his weight shifting on the mattress right before my pajama bottoms and panties where suddenly yanked away from my hips. I screamed in surprise and found myself once again hoping the soundproofing of our bedroom was as good as Edward claimed it was.

I could feel his eyes roaming over my body as I lay exposed to him. I squirmed, wanting nothing more than to feel his hands on me. I tried to feel around me to find out where he was sitting at the moment, but all I could feel was air and the sheets that covered the bed.

"I thought I told you not to move," he grunted. "Do I have to tie you up?" I could hear he wasn't entirely opposed to that idea.

I decided to flip the coin on him, making the most of my chance to speak. It might be the only chance I was going to get at making him feel even a little bit of what was going on inside me right now.

"I don't know," I mused. "I have been very bad..."

I could hear his breathing hitch somewhere over to my left – success! - before feeling his weight once again leave the bed.

Before I could even register the fact that he had gone he was back beside me, grabbing my wrist and roughly pulling them together and tying them with what appeared to be another silk scarf. I could feel the fabric of his pajama bottoms and his erection against my stomach as he straddled me, tying my hands to the head of the bed.

The thought of being tied up and blindfolded whilst Edward had his way with me was oddly arousing. I had never done anything like that before and had never really thought about it but – even though not being able to look at Edward when we were making love would be torture – I could feel this was going to be one of the most erotic experiences in my life.

I was startled again as I could feel Edwards hands on my chest, massaging my breast and tracing patterns on my stomach. I could feel his hands slowly starting to go lower and lower to place where I wanted them most but right before they reached that destination they suddenly moved back up.

I groaned in frustration, which made him retreat his hands all together.

"What did I say," he scolded. "No speaking unless you're spoken to!"

I wanted to say something, yell at him, anything that would make him relive the tension in my body.

"So you want me to touch your pussy?" he purred, placing gliding one finger over my collarbone.

I nodded, not daring to speak.

"You want me to slide my fingers into you while your body's squirming underneath me?" Dear lord. He was better at this than I expected. "Do you want me to lick you until you come all over my face, screaming my name?"

My heart was beating so hard I could almost feel it jumping in my chest. I nodded so violently I was almost afraid I was going to pull a muscle.

His finger moved lower, trough the valley between my breasts and down to my stomach, before he retracted it again. I could barely hold in a disappointed whimper before I felt his hot mouth on my right breast, his tongue tracing circles around my nipple while his other hand fondled my left.

"What do you want me to do, Bella," he hummed against my chest. "You have to tell me exactly what you want, or I won't know what to do."

"I want you to touch me," I whispered, trying to rub my legs together to create some kind of release. He wouldn't have any of that. His hands soon clamped over my legs, pulling them apart to restrict my movement.

"You have to be more precise that that," he chuckled.

"Do you want me to touch you here?" he asked, tickling the tender space behind my knee.

"No," I giggled. I had always been ticklish.

"Or here," he continued, moving his hand to my stomach, trailing his finger over my skin.

I shook my head. "No."

"Or..." he brushed his finger through my folds.

"YES!" I shrieked. Finally!

"Then say so," he chuckled, removing his finger again.

I groaned, my hands straining against the scarf that tied them to the bed.

"Edward! Please stop teasing me!" I pleaded.

He seemed more willing to grant my request now because I could feel his weight shifting on the bed once more before I felt his fingers rub against me again. I could almost cry with happiness as he pushed his fingers inside of me, his tongue flicking over my bundle of nerves.

"EDWARD!" I yelled, the pressure building inside of me.

"God, Bella. You're so fucking wet," he groaned, lapping at my juices as his fingers picked up more speed.

"Please, Edward," I groaned, trying to catch my breath.

"Please what?" he hummed, the vibrations of his voice sending shivers through my body.

"Like that," was the genius answer I managed to come up with as my body started to squirm with my oncoming release.

"You have no idea how good you taste," Edward groaned, adding another finger as he continued his ministrations. It send me flying over the edge, my toes curling into the bedsheets in an effort to keep some kind of hold on the earth beneath me.

As I recovered from my orgasm Edward kissed a trail of wet kisses from my center to my breasts, leaving a trail of fire in it's wake. As his mouth enveloped my nipple, sucking and flicking gently while his hand lavished attention on my other breast, I could feel his tip against my center. It reminded me of what I really wanted.

"Edward, please," I begged. I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

I could feel him smile against me, no doubt he's already guessed what I wanted to say. "What is it you want my angel," he crooned in response. "You know all you have to do is ask."

"Edward, please...fuck me. I want to feel you inside me."

He didn't even answer me before thrusting inside if me in one swift movement making me scream in delight.

"Damn, Bella. You feel so good," he panted, thrusting in and out of me so fast I could hear the slapping sounds of our skin making contact. "I want to fuck you so hard the only thing you'll be able to think of is my name. I want you to make you scream it so loudly everyone in the whole fucking street will know who you belong to. Can you do that for me?"

I nodded mutely, unable to do anything else. I mourned the loss of my hands. I wanted to grab hold of him, feel the muscles in his back clenching under my hands as he slammed into me.

As he shifted his angle, hitting new and wonderful spaces inside of me, I could feel myself sprinting towards the edge. Our moans and groans filled the air as we headed towards our mutual bliss. I could see the spots dancing in front of my eyes as we exploded together, my whole body trembling with the force of my climax.

He crashed onto my chest, his hands fumbling to free me from my restrains as we were both trying to catch our breath. As soon as my hands were free I wrapped them around his chest, caressing his back – glistening with the effects of our exertions – and pulling him closer against me.

"That was..." I started to say.

"Amazing." he finished, grinning from ear to ear.

"What brought all this on?" I chuckled.

Not that I was complaining,but he never been quite so...rough and commanding with me before.

"You were the one who told me to distract you..." he mused, kissing me.

"I guess I did," I giggled. "Remind me to do that more often."

He flipped us over, pulled the covers up around us and started humming in my ear. I don't know if it was that or the side-effects of the sex we had just had, but before I knew it I drifted into a deep sleep.

--

EPOV

--

I was still basking in the afterglow of the most amazing sex I ever had as I held my sleeping angel in my arms.

I didn't know what came over me after she begged me to take her mind of things earlier. I guess I just lost it. She had been so helpless and beaten earlier tonight, all her old insecurities resurfacing again after he disastrous meeting with her mom.

I knew she needed her sleep if she was going to confront that woman tomorrow. She needed to be in top form to show her what she was made of. I just wished I could come with her, only to support her and give her strength. I hated the idea of her walking into that diner alone but if she felt she had to do it that way then the least thing I could do was support her.

At least I had been able to take her mind of things.

It hadn't been the first time I had done this kind of thing, but all previous times paled in comparison, as everything paled in comparison to Bella. The thought of seeing her tied and blindfolded and squirming underneath me made me hard for her all over again and I had to take my mind in another direction to prevent myself from attacking her. If I woke her up now I would undo all my hard work of the evening.

The sight of Bella, shaking with anger and subdued pain as she faced her mother had brought forth emotions I didn't think I had in me. The rage I had felt as I walked into the foyer had been so intense I had to restrain myself by holding onto Bella's waist, pulling her against me so that I could pounce on Renee and rip her head from her shoulders.

The only thing that managed to keep me calm, even when she spoke to me, was the knowledge that Bella needed me. She seemed determined to be strong and I needed to be strong for her as well.

I knew that if it had been Emmett there in the hall with her, he would have flipped. It took the combined efforts of Rose, Jasper and Carlisle to keep him in the kitchen after Libby had come back in and explained what happened.

I must have dozed off somewhere during the night because the next thing I knew it was light again and the space in the bed next to me was empty.

I dressed and washed quickly before going downstairs.

Bella and Esme were in the kitchen, talking and laughing. It was a relieve for me to see Bella and my mom got on so well together. I knew Bella missed having a mother figure and I knew Esme would be all to glad to fill that void if Bella wanted her to. I hoped she would be able to help prepare my angel for her oncoming meeting.

I stood behind my love, wrapped my arms around her tiny waist, and pulled her against me as I kissed the space at the base of her neck. I knew she liked me doing that.

"Good morning," I whispered against her skin.

"It is now," she laughed.

I had to remind myself that my mother was in the room with us and that she might not appreciate such a blatant display of affection in front of her to be able to pull myself away.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Bella asked.

"Pancakes!" Libby yelled, running into the kitchen, before I could say anything. I swear the little girl was addicted to them.

"Hush! I was asking your father!" Bella laughingly scolded her, before turning around to face me.

"Well?" she asked, standing on tiptoe to whisper in my ear. "What do you want my angel, tell me...All you have to do is ask"

My breathing hitched in my throat as she used the exact same word on me as I had used on her last night. The rest of my family must have thought I was a complete idiot.

"P-pancakes...sounds...nice," I managed to stammer before retreating to a safer place.

Breakfast passed much sooner that I should have and before I knew it, it was time for Bella to leave.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you my love?" I asked her one last time as I helped her into her coat.

"I'm absolutely sure," she stated calmly. "I have to do this on my own."

"Call me if you need me," I said, checking her pockets to see if her cell phone was in them.

"I will," she smiled, before walking out the door. My heart breaking a little as I watched her retreating form.

Emmett and Rose arrived soon afterwards with little Charlie. Emmett seemed uncharacteristically calm. Calmer than I was.

I had been on edge ever since Bella left the house, my eyes glued to my cell phone, almost willing it to ring. I knew the fact that Bella didn't call me was probably a positive thing – it meant that everything was going well – but I wanted confirmation.

"Edward can we talk?" The whole room looked up in confusion. Emmett was never really one to talk, let alone instigate a proper conversation.

"Sure," I replied, still confused, as I followed him into the kitchen.

"Relax man," Emmett said as he closed the door behind us. "It's all going to be fine."

"How the hell do you know?" I yelled, getting a little frustrated with Emmett's sudden calmness. "Do you think you can see the future just like my sister?"

"I can't see the future," he chuckled, "But that doesn't mean I can't manipulate it."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean," I asked.

"Let's just say Renee left a note in my mailbox before she came over here, a note containing her contact information."

"You went over there last night?" He sure had my attention now.

"Yup," he stated, pulling a can of soda from the fridge and taking a sip of his drink. "I wanted to make sure Renee didn't pull another one of her little stunts on Bella today."

"What did you do?"

"I warned her that if she hurt Bella again I was going to break that little neck of hers and dump her in the Hudson," Emmett stated without a hint of humor in his eyes.

"She knows I'm serious," he continued. "hell, she even knows she's the bad guy in all of this, she's just too damn stubborn to admit it."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Renee knows damn well that she did a terrible thing five years ago but she's too damn stubborn and proud to admit it. I wanted to make sure she was...past all of that shit when she met Bella today," he explained. "I wanted to make sure that when Bella spoke to her she would have the good grace to shut up and listen."

"And do you think she'll do that?"

He nodded, taking another swig from his drink. "She's not a bad person, deep down inside. She missed Bella and she knows Bella missed her. I think that if she manages to keep an open mind throughout their talk everything will work out fine."

"So you think they'll just kiss and make up?" I said, arching an eyebrow. Renee's actions didn't deserve forgiveness.

"Come on, mate!" Emmett boomed. "It's Bella we're talking about! She'd forgive Jack the Ripper, even if he stood in front of her, swinging a knife above his head!"

The thought of Renee getting closer to Bella again filled me with dread. I knew it was Bella's nature to forgive, she could never hold a grudge, but I never would. The idea of having that woman in my house, of having to act polite to her revolted me.

"I know how you feel man," Emmett said, patting me on the back. "She disgusts me. But still, she's our mom." He shrugged, walking back into the living room.

I didn't feel like going back into the living room after my conversation with Emmett so I sat down in front of my piano and started playing some of my favorite classical pieces to clear my head as I waited for Bella to return.

The idea that at least Renee wouldn't inflict any more pain on my Bella gave me some comfort, but I couldn't help feeling afraid of the fact that she might get close enough to Bella again to inflict further damage in the future.

--

BPOV

--

'_Think happy thoughts,'_ I thought to myself as I walked into Yorkie's diner. It wasn't that difficult. The memory of the events of last night was still fresh in my mind.

When I got down for breakfast earlier that morning I just had to look at Esme's grinning face to know that no amount of soundproofing had been able to muffle the noises we were making last night.

"I'm glad to see that apparently some skills run in the family," she mused as we both stood waiting for the coffee to run through the coffeemaker.

I had blushed fire engine red and tried to find something remarkable about the granite floor, meanwhile resolving to keep it down next time. Thank God Libby was a deep sleeper, she wouldn't have woken up if the house had come crashing down last night, but I had no intention to find out how deep she really slept.

"Oh...erm...sorry about that," I managed to stammer after a while.

"Don't worry. You looked like you needed it," she laughed.

I was pulled rudely out of my happy thoughts as I walked into the diner, immediately recognizing my mother sitting in a booth by the window.

"Let's just get this over with," I sighed, ordering a cup of coffee.

"Well, don't make any effort on my account," Renee said indignantly.

I closed my eyes, rubbing my temples in an effort to stop the upcoming headache.

"Mom, can you please...not do that?" I asked. "I want to talk to you, but you have to _let_ me."

She took a sip of her drink, scrutinizing me over the edges of her mug.

"Okay," she sighed. "I can do that."

I nodded, not knowing where to start.

"So," she said, her voice sounding more reasonable than before. "You and the child's father got back together?"

"Yes," I said, the mention of our reunion still bringing a smile on our face. "It turned out that some horrible misunderstanding drove us apart all those years ago. We met by accident when Rose was in hospital giving birth."

"That doesn't make what you did alright, though," she stated, the hardness creeping back into her voice.

"Look," I replied. "I know I've made mistakes. I've been naive and acted hugely irresponsible. But I didn't commit some kind of capital offense and you aren't entirely without fault yourself either."

I could see that she was straining to keep her self control.

"I will always feel guilty for not being there for dad when he needed me, but it wasn't my fault. I didn't know!"

Renee just looked at me. "You didn't know..." she mused and I could almost see the wheels turning in her head. Had she never stopped to think about things from my perspective before?

"How was I to know? Emmett called me right before I got back to the motel and I got on a plane as soon as I spoke to him. Do you really think so badly of me that you think me capable of pursuing my own selfish pleasure while knowing my father is dying?"

"No." She shook her head. Well, at least that's one thing...

"I acted irresponsibly that night, and I have suffered for it, but if I were given the choice I would do the same thing again," I said, looking straight into Renee's eyes. "Libby is worth every amount of pain I've suffered over the years."

Renee smiled sourly. "I always knew you were going to be a great mom. I just wanted you to wait. Not to make the same mistakes that I had made."

"When I told you I was pregnant I knew I was going to disappoint you," I said, fighting the tears as the memory of that day drifted back into my thought. "I knew you would think I had made a big mistake. But I also hoped that you could understand. I needed your help, mom, and it hurt me so much when you pushed me away."

"I see that now," she said, taking my hand. I was surprised by the sudden kindness." I was too wrapped up in my own misery to notice the pain you were going through."

"Why did you never tell me Edward called you?" I asked, remembering what Edward had told me that first night we got together.

Renee squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

"I was...hurt...angry, because of what had happened. Plus, I never knew for sure if he was the guy," she said, shame creeping into her voice.

"You have to imagine what it was like for me," she continued. "I was still in shock from loosing your father and then you dropped that bomb on me. I just...lost it."

She took a deep breath. "He called me right after I got back from Yale and I was just so...angry."

"Why did you never contact me?" I asked, straining to keep the tears away. "You didn't even have to call me or visit me, just a card or a letter would have been nice."

"I guess I was just...stubborn. At first I wanted to contact you, wanted to talk to you. Especially when I found out you had delivered a baby girl into this world. Of course I wanted to see my first grandchild. But I also thought you had to come to me. That you had to admit that I was right and you were wrong."

She sighed. "Then, as time went by I thought that you must hate me for what I did and I was afraid to call you. Afraid of how you would react. I had felt the brunt of Emmett's anger and I couldn't stand going through that a second time."

"What made you change your mind?" I asked.

"I met someone," she said, a smile creeping onto her face. "I met a man."

She shook her head. "It was silly. One of my friends took me to a baseball game at this little stadium where her husband worked and afterwards...when we were all hanging around in this bar a man came walking in."

She took another sip of her drink, her eyes lighting up as she continued. "When he walked in I just knew it. I knew I was supposed to be with him, in spite of what people would think."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He's a bit younger than me," she replied, smiling mischievously. "A lot, actually."

I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of my mom the cradle snatcher.

"I'm glad to hear you find this all wildly amusing," Renee laughed.

The atmosphere had changed. For a moment the tension seemed to be lifted and we were just mother and daughter. It was as if nothing had happened. Of course I was still angry and hurt, but I also realized how much I had missed this.

"He's so...steady...together," she mused. "Anyways, he kept saying that if there was a remote possibility of the three of us working through all of this I owed it to you as your mother to come to New York and clear the air. Emmett's wedding invitation only served to speed up the process."

"If you wanted to clear the air then why did you act so...hateful last night?" I asked. She hadn't really acted like she craved my forgiveness then.

"I don't know," she said, hanging her head. "I was so nervous...and when I saw how angry you were when you recognized me something snapped and I couldn't think straight again."

"What made you change your mind back?" I snorted, knowing how capricious my mothers moods could be.

"I talked to Phil – my boyfriend – after I got back, and then Emmett came over..."

"EMMETT!" I yelled.

"Did you really think your brother would stand by and let me insult you?" Renee smirked. "I half expected him to kick the door in. I was amazed by the fact that he waited for me to open it for him."

"What did he say?" I asked. I was going to have a serious conversation with my brother when I got back home.

"It doesn't matter," she said, patting my hand. "All that matters is that he made me see the error of my ways."

We talked some more after that, skipping any subject that might stir things up again. When I looked at the clock and saw it was two already I sighed.

"I have to go, mom. Edward and Emmett are waiting for me back home and they will be worried sick."

"Yeah," Renee sighed. "Edward must be anxious to have you back."

I put my coat back on and payed the check.

"Look," she said, just before we parted ways again. "I know stuff has happened that will not be forgotten in a day, or even a year, but I would like to get the chance to be a part of your life again."

"I guess we can keep in touch," I said tentatively. This meeting might have gone better then expected, but I was a little hesitant to let Renee get close to me again.

"I would really like to meet little Libby. She seemed so cute when I met her the other day," Renee mused. "Though I would understand if you wanted to wait a while."

"I'll see..." I said, still a little unsettled by the quick turnaround from the 'evil bitch Renee' I'd met last night to the sweet scatterbrained mom I knew.

"And your boyfriend," she grinned.

I raised an eyebrow.

"You did well there, Bella. I can see why you waited all those years for him."

"Mom!" I knew what she was getting at and I wasn't exactly ready to share the intimate details of my love life with her.

"I can understand if he hates me though. I wasn't exactly on my best behavior yesterday," she said, sounding a little sad.

"We'll see," I said. "I can't promise anything."

We quickly said our goodbyes and before I knew it I was out in the crisp November air, walking back to my loved ones.

_**So, raise your hands if you would be willing ot put up with the bitch mother if that meant getting Edward to talk dirty to you. I know I would...**_

_**I hope you won't be disappointed about the fact that Bella is willing to forgive her mom for what she did - or at least: to let her into her life again. I don't know what I would have done if I had been me, but it seemed like the thing Bella would have done. Things are far from okay between the two of them, even after their talk and the question whether of not Renee can be trusted is yet to be answered. **_

_**I know I promised some of you a bit of Emmett's POV in this chapter (it would have been the conversation he had with Renee) and I wrote parts of it, but it just didn't seem right. Angry Emmett apparently equals more language than in one whole season of the Jerry Springer show and my momma raised me to be a lady (even though some bits of this chapter might contradict that). You still get the gist of it through Edwards POV though. **_


	22. Murder on the dance floor

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Murder on the dance floor.**

My mother had decided to stay in New York until Emmett's wedding to try and mend everything with Emmett and me. We had talked a few times more and I had introduced her to Edward over dinner a few days ago. The meeting had gone fairly well. I knew Edward still didn't like my mom and I doubted he ever would, but at least they were civil to each other.

My mom kept asking about Libby. I knew she wanted to see my little girl again but I wasn't ready for that yet. Even if I was trying to forgive her for the things she had done to me, I still wasn't sure if I could trust her and I wasn't going to jeopardize my daughters happiness just so that Renee could soothe her conscience.

Things between my mom and Emmett were starting to go better as well. She had visited Rose and little Charlie and had taken an interest in the preparations for the wedding, which was only a few weeks away now. I knew Emmett still resented her. He did everything he could to avoid meeting our mom, spending much more time at the gym than he used to, but I had a feeling he would come round in the end. At least he could bring himself to at least be civil to her now.

Still, things were really tense whenever my mom was in the room. I knew everyone was going out of their way not to say anything that could lead to an escalation and – as much as I loved the fact that we had buried the hatched – I was looking forward to the day she would go back home. All this treading on eggs was starting to get to me.

I was doing the dishes as Edward leaned onto the door frame. He had just come down from upstairs after bringing Libby to bed. His staring was making me a little nervous.

"Bella?" he asked.

I looked up.

"The hospital is organizing it's annual charity ball two weeks from now and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me."

I laughed. "What business would I have at a charity ball? Why are you even invited anyway? You're just a resident!"

Of course I knew the answer to that. Carlisle. Surely the hospital would like to show off having landed the very talented son of one of the greatest surgeons in the land.

"It could be nice....," he tried.

"I'm not going to some big snobby to do with a bunch of doctors!" I yelled as I threw another pan in the dishwater, soaking the front of my t-shirt as the water splashed around.

"Why the hell not?" Edward asked, walking into the kitchen. His eyes involuntary slipping from my face to my chest.

I turned around with my hand on my hip, not caring if my wet t-shirt distracted from my making a stand.

"I don't have anything to wear to such an occasion," I huffed, knowing this wasn't exactly the strongest part of my argument. "Secondly, I can hardly walk on a flat surface without tripping over my own two feet, let alone dance. And finally," I took a deep breath, "I'm not really good at the whole polite smiles and smalltalk thing. I always say embarrassing things or drop drinks down someones cleavage. I'm just....not the kind of person you take to those kind of functions."

"Silly Bella," Edward chuckled."Most of those things can be easily remedied."

I scrunched up my eyebrows. "Oh really?"

"You know you were overreacting on your last comment there," he grinned. "I've seen the way you act around others and so I know you're perfectly capable of behaving yourself in public."

I snorted. Just you wait until I ruin some poor socialite's Calvin Klein dress by spilling red wine over it.

To your first objection, well......" he rolled his eyes, "you know Alice, right. She'll jump at the chance to play dress up with you."

I sighed. That meant I was in for a torturous session of Bella Barbie. I was starting to hate his idea more and more by the second.

"And as for the problem with the dancing.....well I could always teach you," he stated.

"Don't you think you spend enough time at the hospital as it is?" I smirked.

"Don't worry, love," he chuckled. "It's all in the leading."

"Yeah, I'll lead you straight to the ER," I snorted.

He walked over to the sink, pausing right before me.

"Trust me........" he whispered, his sparking emerald eyes boring into mine. "Would I ever let you fall?"

"N-no," I stammered, incoherent by his dazzling stare.

"Then, will you let me teach you how to dance?" He leaned in and rubbed his nose against mine, making me tremble on my feet.

I nodded faintly in reply to his question.

"And will you let me take you to the charity ball to show the world how lucky I am to have found such a beautiful woman?"

"I-I guess......." I breathed. I knew I was allowing myself to be dazzled into doing something I really resented but as soon as Edward released the power of his eyes on me I found myself unable to resist anything he was saying.

"Good," he muttered. "Because I intend to make every man in the room see green with envy at the thought of what they can't have."

His eyes wandered from my face to my chest, resting on the part that was still wet.

"You know, that romantic stuff works much better when you're not ogling my boobs," I snorted, splaying him with dishwater.

He blushed. "But they're such nice boobs."

I laughed and rolled my eyes at him. Seriously. I had created a monster.

He turned and left the kitchen after that, leaving me to finish doing the dishes and cleaning up. When I was done I quickly ran upstairs to change my shirt. I didn't mind Edward looking at my boobs, but I didn't feel like catching a cold either.

When I got down again I immediately noticed soft music flowing out of the living room. It wasn't Edward playing his piano, I could hear drums and a brass section, so this probably meant that Edward thought it was time for my first dancing lesson.

When I got into the living room I noticed the lights had been switched off, the furniture had been pushed aside and there were candles everywhere. How did he manage to do that in such a short timespan?

"I thought you might like a more.....relaxing atmosphere for your first dancing lesson," he purred in my ear.

"You've got that right," I said nervously. I was glad the lights had been switched off. At least that meant he couldn't see my awkward movements or the blush that was bound to be etched onto my face. On the other hand, not lights meant that I would have no chance of seeing where I was going and with my clumsiness I wasn't sure that was such a good idea.

He changed the song before putting the remote control to the stereo system in the back pocket of his jeans. The intro to _'My Girl'_ by the Temptations started to fill the room.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, taking my right hand.

"Always," I whispered, letting him pull me to the center of the room.

"Now, place your left hand on my shoulder and your right hand in mine," he said, sounding like a true teacher while he molded my body in place. "Just like that."

"I still don't know if I can do this, Edward," I pleaded. I really didn't want him to end up in hospital.

"Don't worry love, it's all in the leading," he whispered in my ear. To demonstrate his statement he spun me around in his arms. I let out a shocked little laugh at the sudden movement, amazed at how easy he seemed to be able to mold my body to his will.

His left hand snaked around my waist and pulled me to his chest, making me gasp a little at the close contact.

"Now, just move along with me and don't worry about stepping on my toes," he stated as he started to gently sway to the rhythm of the song.

At first I stepped on his toes at nearly every movement we made. Edward, poor darling, tried to keep his pokerface in place but I could see him grimace in pain when I stepped on his foot for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night.

He kept his patience with me though, counting the steps and telling me how to move. In the end it worked. I could feel myself starting to remember the steps without having to say them out loud and I was actually starting to enjoy this.

Edward must have noticed the smile that was creeping onto my face because he leaned in and whispered: "See, I told you I could teach you how to dance. Now, let's start something a little more.....advanced."

My smile faded again and I was sure my face went back to being white as snow. This wasn't challenging enough?

"I'm not sure about that," I managed to squeak. "What we just did was difficult enough for me I think."

"Bella," he scolded me, his tone reminding me of that night a few weeks ago when he had tied me to the bed. "You know as well as I that you can do this."

I shook my head. "I'm not a graceful person, Edward. I'm not good at making fluid, dainty movements. Hell, I have a hard enough job as it is just in keeping my feet on the ground."

"You don't appear to have any problems with making fluid, graceful movements when we're making love," he purred. "Then why would you have any problem replicating those movements on the dance floor?"

I could feel the heat starting to emanate from my cheeks.

"That's because most of the times I'm horizontal," I muttered. "And by the way: I don't think New Yorks high society would appreciate us performing our own version of Dirty Dancing in front of them."

He seemed to ponder that little piece of information for a while before reaching into his back pocket and changing the song again.

"Sinatra?" I chuckled as the first bar of '_The way you look tonight'_ filled the room.

"You've gotta love Ol' Blue Eyes," he laughed as he resumed the dancing lesson.

I found out right away that the tempo was much faster than on the previous songs, but as soon as I had gotten used to the change of pace I found myself starting to enjoy it again.

The song changed to '_Fly me to the moon'_ and as soon as the song started I could hear Edwards velvety voice purring the lyrics in my ear.

_Fly me to the moon  
Let me sing among those stars  
Let me see what spring is like  
On jupiter and mars  
_

He spun me around quickly, not allowing me to think about falling down or getting my legs tangled.

_  
In other words, hold my hand  
In other words, baby kiss me_

Much to my surprise he dipped me and stole a quick kiss on my lips before pulling me up again and resuming our usual movements as if nothing had happened. I, however, was left completely dazed and confused a fact that caused my feet to attack his with a new kind of fervor. __

Fill my heart with song  
Let me sing for ever more  
You are all I long for  
All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true  
In other words, I love you

As the song came to and end he dipped me again, this time much lower and more in a tango-like style and kissed me thoroughly. As our tongues caressed each other I felt one of the hands that were holding me move over my ass and over the back of my leg, moving my knee up to his waist.

As I contemplated how sore I would be after having hot passionate sex on the living room floor I could hear Libby's high pitched giggling coming from somewhere behind me.

Edward moved us back to a standing position, allowing me to see our daughter sitting on the bottom steps of the stairs.

"You look so cute when you're dancing," she gushed.

"Thanks, sweetie," I replied. "But what are you doing still up?"

"I couldn't sleep," she explained, "and then when I heard the music I went down to see where it was coming from."

"Well," I sighed, both relieved and disappointed the dancing lesson had come to an end. "Let's get you into bed."

-- **(pictures of all dresses mentioned below are on my profile)**

About a week before the charity ball Alice turned up one late afternoon dragging an overstuffed clothes rack behind her. I helped her move the thing inside, knowing it would be time to pick out my dress for the ball.

She gently removed the covers, revealing an array of expensive looking dresses. Some I immediately dismissed. There were dresses up there that would make even Paris Hilton blush and others that would only look good on a parrot.

"Alice, what the hell?" I asked, pulling a frilly fuchsia concoction from the rack. "This is not a dress Alice! This is a dish rag!"

"But it's Emanuel Ungaro," she pouted.

"I don't care if the queen of bloody England designed this. It's hideous."

"It's not hideous," she huffed. "I like it."

"Then you wear it," I said, crossing my arms in front of me.

We were locked into some weird kind of standoff for a while before Alice sighed impatiently and moved back to uncovering the dresses she had brought.

When she was about done the bell rang and I opened the door to find Rose and Charlie standing on the doorstep.

"Alice called you?" I asked.

"You really think I'd pass on the chance to finally see you decked out in high fashion?" she snorted, stalking past me with her child in her arms.

"Good. You're here," Alice huffed. "Let's see if you can talk some sense into that," she pointed her fingers at me. "She just called a $4000 Ungaro dress hideous."

"Sounds like the Bella I know," Rose replied, smirking at me.

Alice, Rose and Libby, who had joined us when the 'fun' started made me try on all the dresses even the one that had a neckline ending only just above my crotch. They even had the nerve to praise the dress when I modeled it to them. Seriously! Just because some guy named Marc Jacobs made it doesn't make it look less obscene.

They dismissed my first choice, a nice, covering draped crepe dress, saying I only needed a coil to make me look like a nun.

In the end we settled on a beautiful black Oscar de la Renta gown. The neckline was a little low for my taste, but I was sure Alice had her ways to ensure everything would be kept in place. Even Libby agreed that the dress made me look ' very pretty'.

Alice said she would take care of the accessories and that Rose and she would be by early on the night of the party with all necessary accessories and the stuff needed to do my hair and makeup.

When she said that I thought it would mean an afternoon of torture. I didn't expect her to be banging on the door at eight o clock in the morning on the first Saturday in weeks where I didn't need ot be somewhere.

"What the hell is going on?" Edward groaned beside me, pulling me closer to his body.

"Alice," I sighed, kissing his bare shoulder before getting up. "I'll see what she wants."

"Just take a baseball bat with you and club the little pixie to death will you?" he muttered, turning onto his stomach and hugging the pillow. I felt bad for him. He had been working last night and had only come home somewhere near five. He needed his sleep.

I took one last glance at the image of perfection lying in the bed before making my way downstairs. I was right. Standing in front of the door, two huge suitcases resting next to her on the steps, was Alice, looking revoltingly chipper considering the ungodly hour of the day.

"What are you doing here?" I yawned.

"Silly Bella," she scolded, grabbing her suitcases before slipping past me into the foyer. "I came to get you ready for the ball!"

"Isn't it a bit early for that? We've got a good twelve hours to go before it starts."

"Perfection takes time," she stated, dragging her suitcases up the stairs. "And it's not that early."

"Oh please," I said, rolling my eyes at the evil pixie. "Libby isn't even up yet."

"And what's with the luggage anyways?" I asked, getting a little nervous by the sight of them. "Are you planning to move in?"

"Perfection doesn't just take time Bella," she giggled, leaning over the banister to pinch my cheeks. "It also takes effort."

Crap! So she'd brought her whole array of torture devises with her! All she needed now as a balaclava and she'd be the spitting image of a sixteenth century executioner.

I was just pondering on what was more important: coffee or getting dressed, when I heard a loud noise coming from upstairs.

"Get the hell out of my bedroom Alice!" I could hear Edward yell as I ran up the stairs.

"But I need it to get Bella ready for the ball," Alice whined.

"Not at eight in the fucking morning you don't!" He yelled.

"What's going on mommy?" Libby said, walking onto the landing while still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Alice woke up your daddy," I explained, "And now daddy is a bit angry at her."

"She's in trouble," Libby giggled. We had all learned early on not to mess with Edward in the morning, especially not when he hadn't had enough sleep.

"I think she is," I replied. "Do you want to sleep some more or do you want to go downstairs? I'll be down in a few minutes to fix breakfast."

"I'll go downstairs," she said, shooting a frightened glance at the bedroom door behind which Edward and Alice were still yelling at each other. "Can I watch tv?"

"Sure," I said, at least it would keep her distracted while I sorted this mess out.

I watched her disappear down the stairs before opening the door and walking onto the battlefield. Alice and Edward were standing opposite each other, both poised to pounce at the first hint of disturbance.

"Alice? Why don't you join me downstairs for a cup of coffee and some breakfast so that Edward can get dressed?" I said. I had hoped that Edward would get some more rest, but seeing the state of anger he was in there was no chance of that now.

"But we need to get started!" Alice whined.

"Alice Cullen. There is no way I'm going to start getting ready for a party twelve hours in advance and certainly not before I've put some proper clothes on and had a nice breakfast!" I used the same tone on her that I generally used on Libby when I had to be firm with her. It seemed to have the same effect. Alice hung her head in defeat and stomped past me.

"Fine!" she huffed "But don't blame me when you end up looking like a Picasso in stead of a Raphael."

"I think we'll manage just fine with ten hours to get ready in stead of twelve," I called after her before turning to Edward who was sitting on the edge of the bed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'm so sorry about that," I said, wrapping my arms around him. "I should have stopped her."

"It's Alice we're talking about here," he sighed, leaning his head against my chest as I ran my hands through his hair. "If she makes her mind up to do something there's no force on earth that can stop her."

"True, but you really need your sleep."

"I'll manage," he sighed. "I've managed to perform surgery on less."

"Poor baby," I cooed, leaning in to kiss him. He deepened the kiss, caressing my tongue with his as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back onto the bed with him. I moaned into his mouth as he flipped us over and I felt his body against mine.

"I'M STILL WAITING FOR MY COFFEE!" Alice's high pitched voice sounded from downstairs. We both groaned, annoyed with the disruption.

"You'd better get dressed before she comes back up," Edward sighed, rolling off me. I nodded, quickly pulling on my yoga pants and a sweater. Since Alice would have me strip and shower to start off the Bella Barbie-session it was no use dolling myself up.

Breakfast passed in a quiet fashion after that though as soon as I had put the last spoon full of cereal in my mouth Alice manhandled me and dragged me up the stairs behind her. She was remarkably strong for someone so small.

As we started getting ready I felt myself getting more tense by the second. I had never been to an event such as this – well, not if you counted the epic fail that was my high school prom – and the thought alone made me nervous to the point of almost throwing up.

I wanted to make Edward proud of me, to proof that I actually belonged by his side, but all the odd were against me. I tried to calm my nerves, picturing myself gliding gracefully across the dance floor with my new found dancing skills, but somehow every scenario I tried to conjure up ended in disaster.

Me tripping, my boobs falling out of my dress.

Me spilling my red wine over the pristine white dress of some important person.

Me saying something completely embarrassing to one of Edward's bosses.

Finally I couldn't keep it in much longer. "I don't want to go to the ball tonight," I whispered, hoping Alice wouldn't hear me.

"Why not?" she asked.

"I don't do dancing and playful banter. I'm bound to make a complete fool of myself – and of Edward by proxy – and ruin what little self confidence I have. I don't belong there Alice. I'm not the kind of girl who goes to formal parties."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," she tried to comfort me.

"That's just it," I replied. "Everyone seems confined that I'm overreacting. They all keep saying to me everything will be fine in the end. I know it won't be. The last time I went to any sort of formal party was my senior prom and that ended up in a total nightmare."

"What happened?" Alice asked.

"My mom and best friend Jacob conspired against me and forced me to go. About five minutes into the first dance I managed to not only fall flat on my face in the middle of the dance floor, but also take Jacob down with me, breaking his ankle in the process. He ended up in a cast for six weeks."

"Edward won't let something like that happen to you," Alice replied. "Though I might have to warm him about that."

"It's not just that," I continued. "I know Edward is looking forward to tonight, to parading me around in a pretty dress in front of all his peers. I just don't want to let him down. I'm scared Alice."

"If it's any comfort Bella, I know a little bit about how you're feeling right now." she said, resting her hand on my shoulder.

I looked up at her through the mirror, my eyes wide with surprise. "Really? I thought you'd be a natural at these kind of things."

"Just imagine growing up in a house where everyone is considered nothing short of a genius,"she sighed, sitting down next to me. "People - well at least my parents scholarly highbrow friends – tend to get a little snorty and condescending when they find out I majored in fashion. They think that just because I like clothes I must be a complete simpleton. It kind of took the fun out of the whole thing for me."

"I'm so sorry Alice," I said. I has never realized that growing up in a a wonderful family like hers might have had it's drawbacks as well.

"Don't be," she shrugged. "You can't help it. And mom and dad have always stood by me, which is the only thing that matters to me. Sure, dad would have preferred me to be a lawyer or a doctor I think, but they know this job makes me happy and that's what's more important to them. I've had to fight against people's prejudices for a long time. It kind of comes with the job."

"When people find out I'm a personal shopper," she continued, "they tend to think I'm just some kind of brainless bimbo with a credit card who has made her hobby into her profession."

I looked at her, arching my eyebrow.

"You're horrible!" she giggled, playfully swatting my shoulder. "Only the last part of that is true and anyway, they totally don't understand the therapeutic value of clothes."

"The therapeutic value of clothes?" I snorted, unable to keep in my laughter any longer.

"Ever heard of retail therapy?" she retorted. "And apart from that, clothes do help with mental issues. The perfect outfit will do more wonders for your confidence than an hour of actually sitting on a shrinks sofa telling boring stories about your life, just the way a bad outfit can totally ruin your day."

"So you consider yourself more of a therapist than a personal shopper?"

"Sometimes," she laughed. "though I do admit that most of the Park Avenue bitches that make up my clientèle don't need my services. They just want whatever is hip and expensive and are willing to pay handsomely for it as long as I shut up and go with whatever they are saying. Sometimes, however, you meet these really sweet shy girls whose parents are dragging them kicking and screaming into the limelight. I tend to make it my mission to make them as beautiful and confident as I can."

"Like me, you mean?" I giggled.

"Just like you," she stated, taking my hands. "You are a beautiful woman who is shamefully hiding herself behind a facade of baggy clothes and a curtain of hair. It just makes me want to give you a complete makeover, bring out the real swan, not just the ugly duckling."

"Did you inhale too much hairspray Alice?" I asked, looking at my own, plain face in the mirror. "I'm just.......ordinary."

"You're not," she sighed, "just wait until I'm finished with you!"

She _was_ right.

By the time Alice and Rose – who had joined us somewhere during the Bella Barbie-session - was finished with me I didn't even recognize myself.

Alice had done my makeup perfectly. Keeping it light while still adding a touch of drama. My eyes where done in some kind of strange way that somehow reminded me of ancient Egypt. The effect made them look huge.

To emphasize the low neckline of the dress Alice had dusted my shoulders and cleavage with a shimmering bronzing powder. It was enough to cover up the sickly shade of white my body usually was without channeling any tangerine Christina Aguilera style fake tan.

Rose had meanwhile worked relentlessly on my hair, using every product known to man to get it to behave. She had pulled it up in a Grecian goddess style – somehow I had the feeling she was doing a dress rehearsal for my hairdo at her wedding – keeping it in place with about a thousand hairpins. A few strands of hair near my face where left loose and curled. Since I had vehemently refused to wear any jewelery tonight Alice had had to content herself with weaving a gold ribbon through my hair, completing the Grecian style.

"Edward is waiting for you downstairs," Alice grinned, seeing how taken I was with my new look.

"Well," I giggled. "Then I guess it's impolite to keep him in suspense much longer."

Edwards face as he watched me descend the stairs was priceless. He seemed shocked at first, but then his stare turned into that hungry predator look I had come to love almost as much as as my favorite crooked smile.

The man himself couldn't look any more gorgeous than he did right now. I had often wondered how he would look in a suit – my fantasies ranging for Sean Connery in his best Bond-days to Orlando Bloom in his prettiest form – but no amount of daydreaming could quite match the sight of Edward Cullen in a tuxedo standing in front of me, his eyes sweeping over my body before scorching into my soul.

I had to brush my legs together to create some sort of relieve from the tension that was building within me or I would have cornered him as soon as I was in the foyer and I was sure Alice and Rose would kill me if I destroyed all their hard work.

"It should be forbidden for anyone to look as earth shatteringly gorgeous as you look right now," he said as I finally reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm glad you like it," I smiled.

"Wow mommy. You look very pretty!" Libby yelled, running into the foyer. "You look like a fairytale princess!"

Somehow I doubted Cinderella would have gotten away with the amount of cleavage I was showing tonight but who was I to argue?

"Be nice for aunt Alice, sweetie," I said, kissing her goodnight.

"Have fun mommy!" Libby said, carefully hugging me goodnight.

"I'll try," I muttered.

"Madam, your carriage awaits," Edward said, flashing his crooked grin. I quickly reached out and took his waiting arm before I was reduced to a puddle on the floor. The sight of Edward in his tux, his green eyes blazing while he smiled my favorite smile was too much to resist.

Since tonight qualified as a special occasion Edward had finally brought his special occasion car out of it's hiding place. I had to admit the dark blue Aston Martin Vanquish was a very beautiful car, though I wouldn't have minded if it didn't go quite as fast.

We reached the venue where the ball was held in no time, Edward seeming reluctant to hand over the keys to his pet car to the beaming valet.

"Are you ready to go in?" he asked, smiling down at me as the valet drove off.

I shook my head.

"Let's go in anyway," he laughed. "You'd only catch a cold standing over here."

We entered the building and were escorted to a huge, brightly lit and opulently decorated hall. As I took in my elegant surroundings the people sitting over at the tables, chatting away happily whilst others were gliding gracefully across the dance floor I never felt so lost in my life.

No.

Wait a minute.

I _had_ felt more lost in my life.

I smiled up at my own personal social navigator standing beside me, holding onto my hand. How could I feel lost when I had him to protect me?

As I let my eyes wander through the room I was shocked to see a familiar face. A wild array of fierce red curls and a body that might have been beautiful if you didn't know half of it was fake was moving our way. She was wearing the fuchsia, frilly parrot dress Rose and Alice had waved in front of me a few days ago.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Edward snarled beside me.

Could it be that he was talking about the same person?

"Bella!" She cried in artificial delight, hugging me to her fake boobs while kissing the air next to my face. "Fancy seeing you here! And Edward too!"

So Edward and Victoria knew each other? How?

Edwards puzzled expression as he looked at me probably mirrored mine.

"How is that delightful little girl of yours Bella? My Felicity keeps telling all these wonderful stories about her. We should set up a play date in the park soon." Victoria cackled, only adding to my confusion. She'd never been this interested in Libby or me before.

"Yeah, I guess?" I finally answered.

"And how is that lame ass son of a bitch ex-husband of mine?" she asked Edward.

I spun me head so quickly it almost made me dizzy. Edward knew Victoria's ex?

"James is fine," Edward muttered, his anger clear in his voice.

What? Wait a minute? Victoria was the woman who stripped James of his beloved trust fund?

"Have you met my new beau?" she said, pointing at the senior citizen who was standing a few feet away from us. "He's a doctor too, you know."

So, she had found herself a new victim. Perhaps she would keep this one around until he kicked the bucket so she could get her hands on his entire fortune.

Edward just shook his head, pulling me away from Victoria who was making googoo eyes at her new sugar daddy. The sight of the two of them together made me sick.

"How do you know Victoria?" he asked, as we crossed the room.

"Her daughter Felicity goes to Kindergarten with Libby and we met her a few times at the park. I never knew she was James's ex though." I explained.

I let him lead me over to a table where Kate, Garrett, dr. Wilson and the dreaded doctor House were sitting and sat down, making sure my boobs weren't falling out of my dress and my hair was still behaving itself.

"You scrub up very nice," doctor House remarked. His voice was laced with irony and tiny sparks danced in his eyes.

"Thanks," I replied, trying to accept his compliment – if indeed it was meant to be a compliment – with as much grace as I could muster.

"And my......don't your boobs look just spectacular in that dress!"

Kate nearly choked on her drink while the rest of the table shot compassionate glances in my direction. I could feel Edward tense up in the seat next to me and placed a hand on his arm to restrain him.

"What? They do!" Doctor House exclaimed, acting like he was shocked by our embarrassment. "And don't look at me like that, doctor Cullen. I'm not trying to get into your girlfriend panties! I'm only stating what is perfectly plain for all the world to see! She shouldn't have worn a dress like that if she didn't want men to look at or comment on the girls!"

That's it. I'm never letting Alice and Rose pick out my wardrobe ever again!

Doctor Wilson shot me another apologizing look before whispering something in doctor House's ear. They both stood up to leave the table after that. I breathed a sigh of relief and felt the blush slowly fading from my cheeks.

We had just calmed down again after that and I actually started to enjoy myself a bit, when I felt a cold hand coming to rest on my shoulder. I looked up and found myself staring straight into the face of Aro Volturi.

"My dear miss Swan!" he exclaimed. "What a pleasure to see you here!"

I muttered something about being surprised to see him and introduced him to Edward, Kate and Garrett.

"You must grant me the honor of dancing with me," he purred, after we had exchanged all common pleasantries.

All color left my face and I mouthed 'help' at Edward. He just shrugged and smirked at me.

I hate him.

"Well........I-I.........had........not..." I was thinking of a polite and appropriate comment to let him know I wasn't interested in dancing with him, but failed miserably. "Thank you," I sighed, hanging my head in defeat.

I let him lead me over to the dance floor where - much to my horror - the band had started to play a slow number.

"I'm not a very good dancer..." I squeaked, as I felt him snake one of his arm around my waist.

"I'm sure you're just being humble," Aro replied gallantly. Little did he know....

He pulled me a little too close for comfort and I don't think I had even felt as awkward as right that moment. I mean, it's one thing to dance closely with your lover or with a friend, but quite another to feel the body of your boss – who just happens to totally creep you out – pressing against your own.

I looked over to our table to find Kate, Garrett and Edward staring at us, totally dumbstruck. From where I was standing I could faintly see Edwards hand clenched into tight fists over the table. I knew he didn't like the way Aro was touching me.

Good. That'll teach him for letting this happen to me.

"So, how did you end up at this event?" Aro asked in an effort to make smalltalk during our dance.

"My boyfriend is a doctor at the hospital," I replied, just wanting this to be over.

"Right," Aro said. "So, he's the one with the green eyes?"

"Yes." Did that man ever shut up?

"And have the two of you been going out for long?" He asked next.

Seriously. Did that man think that just because I worked for him I'd share the ins and outs of my life with him?

"For a while now." I said curtly, hoping he'd pick up on the hint that I didn't want to talk about it.

No such luck.

"How does your daughter feel about that?"

I briefly considered telling him to butt the hell out of my love life but that would only make matters worse. Aro was like a bloodhound. When he was on the chase, he'd never let go. Plus, he had the power to make my life much more difficult. It was better to just suck it up and play along.

"She loves Edward." I replied.

"That's nice," he remarked. "So, you moved in with him already? I saw the change of address...."

What was he? My father?

"I-I.....I don't think I'm comfortable answering personal questions like this...." I stammered.

"That's interesting....." he mused. "But you did move in with him, didn't you?"

I shot a pleading look in Edwards direction. I hated being a damsel in distress but right now I really needed saving.

He picked up on my desperation and was just starting to get up as the song finally ended.

I breathed a sigh of relieve as Aro escorted me back to my table.

"It was an unexpected pleasure, miss Swan," he whispered in my ear. I shivered in disgust at this unwanted closeness.

As I sat down again he unexpectedly grabbed my hand and kissed it, not doubt wanting to appear gallant. I drew my hand back as fast as I could without appearing discourteous and wiped the back of my hand against my dress as Aro retreated.

"That was.....interesting," Kate started, as soon as Aro was out of earshot.

"Interesting?" Garrett hollered. "The guy looks like he's Count Dracula and he was rubbing himself all over you! If I'd have been Bella I'd probably kick him in the balls and run for safety."

"Yeah, well. He kind of is my boss and I don't want to loose my job and all," I said.

"But don't tell me you didn't at least think of that!" Garret replied, leaning in to me.

"I think he'll just like her even better if she kicked him in the balls," Kate joked. "He seems just like the type of guy that loves a little spanking."

"Ewwww!" I did not want to think of my boss that way. Now I'd never be able to look at him the same way when he was walking through the corridor in between classes.

"What?" Kate said, rolling her eyes. "He does!"

Things calmed down again after that. Garrett and Edward had struck up a conversation about some kind of surgery they had both been allowed to scrub in on and Kate and I had started commenting on other peoples dresses, Kate stating that she refused to 'talk shop' on a night such as this.

"Did I tell you how amazing you look, tonight?" Edward crooned in my ear, grazing my earlobe with his teeth. It made me forget doctor House or Aro Volturi even existed.

"Only about twenty times," I smiled, gazing into the pools of electric emerald beside me.

"The things I will do to you once we get out of here....." he whispered, letting his voice trail off right at the end.

A shiver ran down my spine and I had to fight the urge to grab his hand and run out of here.

"You were the one who was insisting we'd come here," I chastised him. "Now, take me to the dance floor and make me put my new found skills to use before I loose my courage." I had to do something before I started to attack him, even if that meant hazarding my life and his by dancing with him.

"My pleasure," he said, taking my hand and kissing it before leading me to the dance floor.

The music was much slower than what we had danced to and I had no difficulty in following Edwards lead. A triumphant smile was just starting to creep onto my face when I saw a dainty white hand gracefully tap Edwards shoulder.

Edwards face betrayed his chagrin at being interrupted. He smiled apologetically before turning to look at the intruder.

When he leaned away from me I saw the hand belonged to a beautiful strawberry blond supermodel type woman. She was everything I wasn't. Tall, blond, rich – by the looks of her daring but expensive looking dress- and seemingly at ease in these kind of surroundings.

Her figure was the kind that women requested at the plastic surgeon's, a fact that was only emphasized by the clothes she was wearing. Somehow she managed to pull off the leopard-print dress with a huge slit and a plunging neckline without appearing slutty. Apart from Rose I don't think I had ever seen a woman capable of doing that.

"Ah! Edward! I've missed you!" she exclaimed, pulling Edward into a close hug. "You never come round to our place anymore."

What the hell?

"Tanya," Edward grumbled.

Wait a minute....._This_ was Tanya? Kate's sister? The woman who had pursued Edward for years?

Damn!

"Don't mind if I cut in, do you?" Tanya sneered at me, all the while flashing a brilliant smile at Edward.

"Be my guest," I mumbled. How on earth was I supposed to compete with that? She had the kind of perfect, Betty Boob-like sand dial figure with perfect firm breast that obviously had never nursed a child. Her nipples were standing at attention like soldiers at a parade. It looked almost as if they were mocking me, as they were following Edward around like some kind of dowsing rod.

She didn't even listen to what I said as she wrapped herself around my boyfriend who was currently looking a little lost. She whispered something in his ear, causing him to look at her in fury for just a second before he sighed, flashing me an apologetic smile and disappeared within the mass of people on the dance floor.

As I watched them dance away I felt dizzy with the chain reaction of disastrous meeting that had taken place this night. I didn't belong here. That was for sure. This was the realm of the rich and famous, the backstabbing, boyfriend stealing, money grabbing happy few. I could never hold my own in this world. _His _world. What was I even thinking when I agreed to come here? He needed someone who could stand her ground, fit in. Not me.

I sauntered through the room, hoping to catch a breath of fresh air outside. All my old insecurities came back to me all at once.

He would realize he deserved something better than me.

I would loose him.

Probably to someone like Tanya with her perfect heat seeking nipples.

The fear of being on my own again, without him made me physically sick.

I reached a door, pulled it open and threw up on the sidewalk.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Kate asked, rubbing my back.

"I don't belong here," I whispered, my stomach still contracting. "I don't belong with Edward."

"What on earth makes you think that, silly," Kate said, trying to make her voice sound light. She wasn't fooling me though, I could hear the anxiety in her voice.

"Edward.....he 's just so.......and I'm......just......me," I stuttered.

"Silly Bella," she giggled, pulling me into a close hug. I kept a little distance between us, I didn't want her to get vomit on her beautiful dress. "Edward worships the ground you walk on. If you'd let him he'd probably built you a temple and start the cult of Bella."

I sighed. I knew he loved me. I could see it in everything he did. It was just that this whole evening had made me feel so....inadequate.

"Now, what brought all of this on?" Kate asked.

I sighed again. "Tanya."

"What?" she exclaimed. "Is Tanya here?"

Right that moment Garrett came barging through the door. "Ah, Kate. Bella. Here you are. You have to come quick. Tanya's making an ass out of herself on the dance floor. She actually tries to kiss Edward just yet."

"WHAT?" Kate yelled. Suddenly I understood why those nurses had called her McBitchy. She looked.......scary.

"The girl just doesn't seem to take no for an answer," Garrett smirked.

"Bella, what the hell do you think you're doing here?" Garrett asked. "Why aren't you inside on the dance floor, punching Tanya's lights out?"

"She thinks Edward is going to leave her for Tanya," Kate grinned. Did she really take joy in my defeat. Has she been wanting to have Edward end up with her sister all along?

"You really are a little fool, aren't you?" Garrett chuckled. "Edward only has eyes for you. I swear if Charlize Theron would stand in front of him naked he wouldn't even notice her as long as you were in the room with him!"

"What?" I asked, through a haze of tears.

"Edward is an ass for letting Tanya pull him away like that, but I'm sure he had his reasons," Kate explained.

"I thought I heard her saying something about how she would make a huge scene and embarrass Bella if he didn't go along with what she was doing," Garrett explained.

"What?" I was still confused. Had Tanya – perfect Tanya – blackmailed Edward into dancing with her?

"That's it!" Kate huffed. "The little skank has gone too far this time. I'm going to kill her! " Kate snarled, storming back inside. "My dear sister has gone too far this time."

I trailed after her, still confused, though I didn't want to miss any more of what was going on. Most of all I wanted to see Edward. To see with my own eyes if he was enjoying his dance with Tanya or if she was really forcing him like Garrett had said.

As soon as we entered the room again I had my conformation. Tanya was rubbing herself all over a livid and distraught looking Edward. There was no way he was enjoying himself right now. Though the realization brought me some relief, my fears and uncertainties still remained.

Kate didn't even talk to her sister. She just stormed up to the dance floor and yanked Tanya out of Edwards arms by her hair.

From where I was standing, a little distance away from them I could faintly hear the exchange between them.

"Either you walk out of this joint with me now, or I'm going to drag you out of here by your hair Goldilocks," Kate snarled.

"What? Why?"

"Because you're acting like a cheap tart and hurting my friends, that's why," Kate snapped.

"But....." Tanya started.

Kate just rolled her eyes, grabbed her sisters hand and started marching towards the exit.

"Are you alright?" Edward sounded weary as he wrapped me in his arms. I must have been looking like a mess. I sure hoped I didn't have vomit in my hair.

"Yeah," I sighed, leaning against his chest. "I am now."

"I'm sorry about earlier. Tanya can be very......persistent when she wants to."

"It's okay," I muttered into his chest. "Can you just take me home though? I don't think I can take much more of this."

"Of course. I'm sorry about putting you through this. If I'd have known......" I silenced him with my finger.

"You couldn't have known," I reassured him. "Now please take me home and take a shower as soon as we get back. You kind of smell like her."

"Anything for you," he muttered, leaning his head on top of mine as he pulled me towards the exit, never loosening his hold on my waist.

As we exited the room I could faintly see in my peripheral vision how Victoria and doctor House seemed to have struck up a conversation. A very cozy kind of conversation.

_**I'm sorry for not updating on Monday like I usually do. All I can say is that with the first of the four terms that make up the Dutch school year coming to a close I have been insanely busy with grading papers and preparing tests, leaving me almost no time to write/edit. I also find it quite hard to come up with something after I have had to work my way through thirty essays on Bismarck's Realpolitik. The bad thing is that the next few weeks are going to be pretty much the same. I do promise to update at least once a week though, since I vehemently refuse to work on Friday afternoons (it's my afternoon off). **_

_**I hope this chapter was still okay though. It shows how Bella and Edward might have progressed in their relationship, but the old fears and worries haven't quite gone away. The next chapter will tell you some more about how Edward was feeling throughout the evening. **_

_**Please review and let me know what you thought about it.**_


	23. Go forth and grovel

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Go forth and grovel. (lemon)**

I had never felt this bad in my life. Well....almost.

To think you've found happiness only to have it taken away from you again was an agonizing feeling.

Ever since the disastrous Christmas ball at the hospital last week Bella had been acting different. Unapproachable. She had drawn up her fences again and was keeping her distance from me once more. I felt so lost and powerless, knowing I couldn't do anything to make her feel better. How could I, when she wasn't letting me in?.

I knew what had happened at the party had brought back her old insecurities. Kate had told me as much though she had refused to tell me what she and Bella had been talking about while I had been trapped in Tanya's revolting claws.

The bitch.

She had taken away from me the thing I cherished most. I had been mortified that night when she leaned into me and told me that if I refused her she was going to cause a scandal for Bella. I knew I shouldn't have believed her – I mean, what kind of scandal could she cause for us? - but the thought of putting Bella in yet another embarrassing situation after all that had happened already filled me with dread.

I mustn't have been thinking straight. Perhaps it was because of all the hardships my poor Bella had been forced to endure already that night. If I had I would have told Tanya to take her slutty behavior and skanky dress and get lost. I didn't.

I tried to keep an eye on Bella when I was dancing with Tanya but soon we got lost in the crowd that littered the dance floor and I couldn't find her back. I should have gone after her then. Maybe if I did, all would have been alright. I could have at least controlled the damage a little bit more.

When she appeared again, almost hiding behind Kate, I knew instantly that something bad had happened. Her eyes were all red – she must have been crying – and she was pale as a sheet.

It killed me to know that I was the one who caused all of this. That I was the one who had made her cry. But the worst thing was that she tried to make light of it. It was like I couldn't reach her, like she was pulling herself away from me.

I had felt it immediately after I had taken her home and we were alone at last. I tried to show her how much I loved her and how sorry I was for what happened. If she wouldn't let me speak about it, then she might believe what my body could convey.

Still, she had been distant. Passive. We hadn't made love afterwards.

Somehow what had happened had made Bella think she wasn't good enough for me, that I deserved someone better, someone who had been brought up in the same kind of social circle as me. How could I make her see that I never wanted anything more to do with those people who had hurt her? How could I make her see that I was the one who was undeserving of her and not the other way around?

She wouldn't speak to me, at least not about that.

She was just going about her daily routine, acting like nothing bad had happened. But still, every time I came close to her – whether it was physically or emotionally – she would shrink away. It was killing me.

I made my car pick up some speed on an uncharacteristically empty stretch of asphalt. Tonight when Libby was in bed I would make Bella talk to me. Even if I had to force the words out of her mouth myself.

I felt relieved as I made this promise to myself. Whatever it was that was driving Bella and me apart, at least it would be over tomorrow and we could go back to being happy again.

I had a strange sense of foreboding when I entered the house. A sense that turned into real tangible fear when I heard a voice upon opening the door.

A deep voice that interlaced with the carefree laughter of my angel. Libby's high pitched giggles mixing in as well.

I realized that Bella was taking to someone.

A man.

I quickly threw my coat in the general direction of the coat rack and made my way to the living room to see Bella sitting on the couch, a huge relaxed smile gracing her face for the first time since the night of the ball. She was watching something. Someone.

I followed her gaze to see a man lying on the floor throwing Libby into the air and catching her again. My little girl squealing with delight, her curls flailing around her face in total disarray.

I think most women would have considered the man to be handsome. He had those tall, dark and broody looks women found attractive. His skin had a tanned, russet color, making me guess he was probably of Native American descent.

What the hell was that guy doing here and why was he stealing my family?

--

BPOV

--

I had felt awful ever since the night of the ball. I knew I was acting stupidly and – even more important – hurting Edward with my childish behavior but I couldn't pull myself out of it. It was like I had been balancing on the edges of a trap door for some time now and at the night of the ball the trap had opened and I had fallen into the darkness.

It was stupid. I had every reason in the world to be happy. I was in love with the most amazing man on the planet and we had the most wonderful little girl together, I had friends who accepted me for who I was and a job I really liked. Why on earth would I be depressed?

Those observations weren't really helping me, they only added guilt to the overall feeling of misery that had set in. I'd just have to put up a brave face until it went away. I hoped that would be soon.

So, every morning as I woke up I made a promise to myself to act as normally as possible in the hope that no-one noticed what was going on and I thought I was actually doing a really great job at that.

I knew I was keeping my distance from Edward and I hated myself for that knowing my actions were hurting him. Why couldn't I just let him in an comfort me? Of course I knew the answer to that. It was the little menacing voice in my head that kept telling me I was going to loose him.

I was sitting in the study doing some research for the oncoming trip to London when the doorbell rang. I glanced into the living room and saw that Libby was too wrapped up in playing with the latest additions to her ever growing doll collection. She had been a little hesitant in opening the door lately anyways. Ever since Renee had showed up at our doorstep on Thanksgiving.

"I'll get it," I yelled, just to make my little girl know there was someone at the door. I couldn't blame Libby for being a little hesitant towards strangers and doorbells after what had happened.

I sighed, walking into the foyer. The time for Libby to meet Renee was coming up. We had to get that over with before Emmett's wedding, since both of them would be thrown together at the reception and I didn't want to let their first meeting take place in a crowded reception hall.

I opened the door only to be pulled into a massive bear hug. I was just about to start kicking whoever it was when he released me and dropped me back onto solid ground.

"Jakey!" I screamed, as soon as I recognized his face. "What are you doing here?"

"It's good to see you again too," he grinned.

"How have you been? And how is Billy? And Sue? And Leah and Seth? Are they here?" I still couldn't believe Jacob was standing in front of me. I hadn't seen him in God knows how long.

"Stop!" he laughed. "If you want me to answer all your questions you have to give me the opportunity to do it!"

"Sorry," I blushed. "So, what about them?"

"They are all fine," he said. "Billy and Sue are both doing great. They send their love. Seth and Leah are flying in for the wedding on Saturday so you'll see them for yourself in a few days."

"That's great news! And how's the business going?"

"It's really starting to pick up," he answered, his voice betraying his enthusiasm. "Who knew there were so many ramshackle cars that needed sprucing up?"

Jacob's garage specialized in patching up cars fit for the scrapyard. He got the idea when we were still in highschool. After he had fixed up his fathers old Chevy pickup truck for me and a ramshackle old Volkswagen Rabbit for himself he had started working on other cars. Most people appreciated the fact that he just tried to fix their old wrecks without whining about how they should really buy a new car. He said his job sometimes made him feel like that Xzibit guy from _Pimp my ride_.

He had tried the college route after we graduated but dropped out after a while, claiming all those books made him nervous. He did, however, pick up enough information to start his own business and do a great job at it.

"That's wonderful! I can see you're doing great!" I said. The guy looked huge, he was taller than anyone I knew and he was string to rival Emmett in the muscle department.

"You could have knocked me over with a feather though when Emmett told me you and Edward had gotten back together again!"

I blushed. I should have called him. I owed him that for all the time we had spend together when we were kids.

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I know I've been a bad friend."

"Forget about it Bells," he laughed, his hand slamming down on my back. "I'm just happy you're happy."

"Won't you come in?" I asked, stepping aside so he could pass. I rubbed my back as I walked behind him into the foyer. Jake always forgot that I was more fragile than him. I was almost afraid he'd cracked a rib.

"Where's the kid?" he asked, as soon as he had hung up his coat. "She must be – what – about five now?"

"She's doing great, she's in the living room right next door," I said, opening the door. Jacob hadn't seen Libby in two years and I was wondering if Libby even remembered him.

"Libby, we've got a visitor!" I announced.

She looked up from her dolls house and studied Jacob for a short while, here eyes widening with surprise as she recognized him.

Before I could say anything she had bounded over to him and flung herself into his arms. As they whirled across the floor, Libby squealing with delight I could hear Edward returning from work. I

couldn't wait for him to meet Jacob.

Jake had been such an important person in my life when I was growing up. I didn't think I had a single childhood memory that didn't have him in it somewhere. He was almost like a second brother to me. I hoped he and Edward were going to get along as well as Emmett and Edward.

He just stood there in the door opening, looking from Jacob and Libby to me with an expression that both confused and angered me. Confused because the expression on his face when he looked at Jacob and Libby – who were still on the ground - was that of a man burning at the stake. There was so much pain in his eyes it almost made my heart break. Angered because when he turned to me his face held an accusation. Like I had betrayed him. Was he rally that stupid?

"Edward?" I asked, wanting his attention.

This," I waved over to Jacob, who was straightening himself out on the floor, "is my best _friend_ Jacob Black. You remember? I told you about him."

Jacob scrambled to his feet and walked over to Edward, sticking out his hand. There was something funny about his behavior as well, though he wasn't acting like somebody had stolen his candy.

"I remember," Edward growled shaking Jacobs hand. I could see by the looks on both their faces it wasn't a friendly handshake.

They just stood there, squeezing each others hands and glaring at each other while Libby and I looked on with puzzled faces. What the hell was going on?

No

I knew what was going on. But why the hell were they acting like this?

"Edward?" I asked, making my voice sound sugary sweet. "Can I talk to you in the kitchen?"

Libby must have known her dad was in for a scolding because she grinned at me before shooting Edward a look of disappointment.

I marched into the kitchen and was relieved to hear Edward was following me. He would have some serious explaining to do and he'd better start getting to normal after that because I didn't know how much more drama I could take before I would fall apart. Or break something. Or both.

"So," I started. "Do you mind telling me what this is all about?"

"Why don't _you_ tell _me_?" He stated calmly. "You're the one who got us in this situation."

Was he blaming me for his childish behavior? This was getting from bad to worse.

"Why don't you stop acting like a spoiled little kid?" I yelled. "I don't remember you acting like an ass when I introduced you to Jasper or Felix."

"You didn't go out with Jasper or Felix," he hissed.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"All I'm saying is that men generally don't like to come home after a hard days work to find their girlfriends ex-boyfriend frolicking on the floor with their daughter," he grumbled.

His behavior was really starting to piss me off. Why couldn't he just act normally and be happy for me?

"Jacob is just a friend, Edward," I cried exasperated. "I thought you knew that?"

"Then what the hell is he doing in _my_ house with _my_ girlfriend and _my_ daughter?" Edward snarled.

It was his blatant possessiveness that really ticked me off. Where did he get off acting like Libby and I were his property? He was acting like he'd bought us, just like he seemed to be able to buy everything he liked.

"Start acting like a grown up or get the hell away from me and don't come back until you've calmed down." I yelled.

"Fine," he stated, his calmness was making me more riled up than his anger had. He just marched out of the house and slammed the door shut behind him. Leaving me angry and confused.

"Are you alright mommy?" Libby asked as Jacob carried her into the kitchen.

"I'm fine sweetie," I replied in a shaky voice, trying to keep a straight face for my daughters sake.

"What did daddy do? Did he hurt you again? Show me you neck mommy!" Libby was going into full hysteria, even remembering the time she discovered Edward giving me a hickey.

"I'm fine sweetie, really," I soothed. "Look, my neck is completely unscathed." I pulled the collar of my turtle neck shirt down to give me a look.

"Then what did daddy do? I could hear you yelling at each other."

"Daddy's just acting like an ass," I sighed, wanting nothing more than to end this conversation. "Why don't you pick out a movie while I'm making some popcorn?"

"Okay," she replied hesitantly, climbing down from Jacobs arms before skipping off to the living room again. I could tell she didn't buy my ruse though. She was far too perceptive to fool. She was bound to have picked up on the fact that everything was far from fine.

"What happened?" Jacob asked after Libby had left.

"Nothing," I sighed, throwing a bag of popcorn into the microwave. "Just some boyfriend silliness."

"If you want me to leave......" he started.

"No, Jacob. Stay," I whispered. If he left me now I was sure I was going to break down and I didn't want to upset Libby even further.

"Let's just watch a movie or something until Edward gets back," I sighed, taking the popcorn out of the microwave again and putting it into a bowl.

"Will do," he said, wrapping an arm around me and escorting me back into the living room.

I tried to focus on the movie and just relax but couldn't help my thoughts from drifting to what happened. It felt like it was coming at me from all directions at once. Why couldn't they just leave me alone to deal with everything that happened? It was too much for one person to take in all at once.

I massaged my temples to try and ease the throbbing headache that had set on. How was I supposed to deal with all of this?

--

EPOV

--

I didn't think I had hated myself quite as much as I did that moment. Well, at least not for a long period of time.

Why did my stupid possessiveness have to kick in and ruin everything?

Why did Bella's ex-boyfriend have to pick this day out of all the days in the year to make his appearance into our lives?

Why did I have to make a total ass out of myself and ruin everything I held dear and scared in life?

Of course I knew the answer to all those questions.

It was because I was a monster.

When Bella had asked me to leave I thought my heart would break. Sure, I had been angry at first – livid even - but as soon as I had slammed the door shut behind me fear and guilt had set in.

I had always known I would never be good enough for her, but now she seemed to have realized that as well. The fact that mr. Perfect had been in the next room entertaining my daughter only served to make matters worse.

After I had left the house I had gone straight to Emmett and Felix's gym. Not that I wanted to talk to them, I just needed to let off some steam and this seemed the perfect place to do it.

I had moved to abusing a punching bag after Felix had almost chased me away from the weightlifting benches, claiming I was scaring the shit out of the rest of the people enjoying their workouts.

He and Emmett were both gaping at me from a distance, no doubt wondering what had brought this on. Maybe I should just tell them. I knew Emmett would kill me the moment I told him I had hurt his baby sisters feelings but perhaps that would be better. Everything would be better than having to go home in a few hours and having to face Bella and Libby. I knew I had disappointed both of them. I could only hope that Bella would let me back into the house to apologize.

"Are you trying to punch a hole in the wall there Eddie?" Emmett walked over to me and gave me a friendly slap on the back.

I had to fight the urge to take a swing at him. I even had my fist up in the air, poised to strike, before I managed to stop myself.

"It's EDWARD," I grumbled, directing my punch at the punching bag instead.

"Whatever, bro," he shrugged. "We need to have a little talk. You know? Mano a mano."

"I don't see why," I huffed, continuing my assault on the bag. I didn't feel like talking. I felt like sulking.

"It wasn't a suggestion," he said, grabbing my by the arms and tugging me into the little office. Felix followed close behind and closed the door as he entered the room.

"What brought this on?" I growled. "I thought you weren't the type of guy to get all touchy feely?"

"You're part of the family now," Emmett said in his best Don Vito impersonation. "And as a family we look out for one another."

"Even if I hurt another – more cherished – part of that family?"

"Oh you're an ass alright, if that's what you're trying to ask," Emmet replied, smirking at me, "but you're an even bigger ass if you think I'm going to lean back and enjoy the show while Bella and you drive each other insane. Yet again."

"Explain."

"Bella has had these little spells of depression for years. She'll be down for a few days - and we'll all worry and fuss over her – but after a few days, maybe a week or so, she'll snap out of it and be her usual delightful little self again," he said, waving his arms around like he was a college professor giving a lecture.

"That's not why we fought," I said, ducking my head in shame. I didn't want to admit how big of an idiot I had been.

"Then what the hell happened?" Felix asked, before Emmett could say anything.

"I was going to talk to her tonight, but then I walk into the house and there's this guy in the living room, his hands all over my daughter and Bella looking on from the couch like they're playing happy families. I guess I just lost it," I admitted.

"Did the guy look like he should have been in that movie _300_?" Emmett asked.

I frowned at him in confusion.

"You know," he explained impatiently, "tall, dark and handsome with a little Native American twist?" Emmett must have been reading Rose's Cosmopolitan again.

I nodded.

"Oh don't worry about that," he laughed relived. "It's just Jake."

My face must have mirrored my feelings, which were everything but relieved.

Emmett started laughing at me like I had done something funny. "Bella and Jake go way back. I mean back to when they were both in diapers. Yes. Bella went out with Jake for a while and Jake really loved her and I think he loves her still, but Bella never felt the same."

Now that was the kind of thing I wanted to hear.

"I swear, Bella only went out with him to do my dad and me a favor. After they broke up she felt really bad for making him think they had a shot at love. She'd never leave you for him. She likes him – yes – but she _loves_ you!"

The only thing that could have made me feel more relieved right that moment would have been if he told me Jacob was gay. Sure, I didn't really care for the guy, not even since I knew he wasn't a threat to me, but I felt a lot better knowing I'd only witnessed a meeting of lifelong friends this afternoon.

Bella wasn't going to leave me.

That is: if I managed to make things right again.

I had been such an ass.

"I gotta go," I yelled, practically running out of the room.

"Go forth and grovel!" Emmett yelled after me.

--

BPOV

--

We were about halfway through Ice Age when the doorbell rang again.

For a moment I hoped it was Edward. After my anger had died down a little I felt terrible about what happened. Sure, he had been wrong – totally wrong – but I shouldn't have chased him away like that. Knowing he was still so afraid of loosing me.

I sighed when I recognized Rose. It had been stupid to think It was Edward. He would have used his key to get in.

"Where is he?" she barked at me, before pushing past me into the foyer. "Is that _dog_ still here?"

Rose wasn't exactly a member of the Jacob fan club. She and Jake had been introduced the last time Jacob had made it over to New York and they had gotten off on the wrong foot from minute one.

Literally.

As soon as Rose had walked up to Jacob he had made some kind of sarcastic remark about Rosalie's shoes, not knowing that shoes were sacred in the world of Rosalie Hale. She had put him in place with some snide remark about him smelling like a dog and they had been arch enemies ever since.

She didn't wait for a reply but just stomped into the living room, stopping dead in her tracks as she saw Jacob and Libby snuggled comfortably together on the couch.

"Hey, it's Blondie!" Jacob grinned, is mouth still filled with popcorn.

"Uncle Jake?" Libby asked. "Why are you calling aunt Rose Blondie?"

"It's just a nickname I have for her peanut," he explained. "A special kind of nickname."

"Get lost Fido," Rose huffed, adding to Libby's confusion.

"You and I need to talk in the kitchen," she huffed, pulling me into the kitchen behind her before slamming the door shut.

"What. Is. Your. Problem?" She barked, pricking her finger into my chest.

"Huh?" I was about as confused at Libby at that point.

"Edward is at the gym, acting like a maniac and scaring off the clientèle. I figured it had something to do with the fact that _that_," she pointed at the closed door, "has arrived today."

"How did you know?" I asked.

"Emmett told me. Apparently Fido texted him to ask for your new address before running over to your place."

"Oh," I was still too confused to actually form a coherent reply.

"Oh?" Rose huffed. "Would you mind explaining to me why you keep that worthless piece of crap in your house while your boyfriend is having a nervous breakdown over you? For Gods sake woman. Go after him. Get your man!"

"Good God! Rosalie Lillian Hale, are you actually defending Edwards case?" I screamed. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Although Rosalie had accepted Edward as one of the family there still wasn't much love lost between the two of them. I had no doubt that in time they would grow to be friends but with Rosalie those things just took time.

"All I'm saying is put yourself in his shoes," she said. "Your girlfriend has been acting distant ever since you dragged her off against her will to a night that makes D-day look like a merry little get together in comparison and now she and her best friend slash ex-boyfriend are getting all cute and cuddly together while you are off working insane hours at a hospital under the supervision of a guy who'd make Joseph Stalin seem like a cuddly teddy bear."

"I have not been acting distant," I huffed.

"Oh, yes you have!" She yelled. "You're shutting him out Bella. Keeping a safe distance from him again. And it's freaking him out. Even Emmett noticed...."

"How would Emmett have noticed?" I asked indignantly.

"What are you? An idiot?" she asked incredulously. "Edward is over at the gym, letting off steam. Literally. He's even putting on a good enough show to make Emmett realize it's probably got something to do with you."

"Wait a minute," I said, some things Rose had just been saying drifting into my head again. "How do you know all of this?"

"Emmett called me," Rose explained. "Apparently Felix and he had to call in some kind of dr. Phil-style intervention to get him to calm down. Emmett was freaking out on the phone. You know how scared he is of all that emo-crap!"

I was afraid Rose would punch me in the face if I said the wrong thing now. It was one thing to upset her, she would get all scary and intimidating but at least you could handle that. Upsetting Emmett was another thing altogether though. Rose was a fierce protector of the people she loved and she loved Emmett and Charlie above all others. If I said something that could be taken a wrong way she would kill me. There was no doubt about that.

"Sorry?" I muttered, pulling my shoulders up to protect my head in case she decided to deck me.

"You. Fix. This!" she huffed. "And then you're going to apologize to Emmett for scaring the crap out of him."

"Sure?" I was still trying to find an escape route in case this was going to turn into a fight. Pointing out that Emmett was perfectly able of taking care of himself would not be a clever thing to say right now.

As the meaning of Rose's words sank in I felt a huge wave of guilt crash over me. Edward had always been scared of loosing me, just as I had been scared of loosing him. Obviously this whole thing had not made him feel better about that.

"It's just.....I don't know. Jacob showed up and he was just greeting Libby when Edward walked in. Next thing I knew Edward went all caveman on me and all but growled at Jake. Then he started yelling at me, almost accusing me of cheating on him and I just kind of .....lost it." I explained.

"Just try to look at this from his point of view," Rose said. "How would you feel if you were him?"

I tried to see things from Edwards perspective. Apparently I hadn't been as good an actress as I had thought myself to be and knowing Edward he would have blamed himself for my little bad patch. If I had been acting distant I could see now how that would have caused him to go into overdrive the moment he stumbled into the living room this afternoon.

"I've done something terrible," I sighed, tears of shame rolling over my cheeks. "I all but chased him out of the house!"

"I'm sure it will be alright Bella," Rose soothed, wiping my tears away in an uncharacteristically motherly gesture.

"You don't get it," I sobbed, hiding my face in Rose's shoulder. "He thinks he's not good enough for me. He told me once that he's still scared that one day I will realize that and leave him. Turning him out of the house the way I did was the most cruel thing I could ever have done to him!"

"What have you ever done to me that I didn't deserve?" My heart leaped in my chest as I heard the one voice I most wanted to hear coming from the door opening.

"EDWARD!" I cried, running over to him and crushing myself to his chest.

"Shhhh," he whispered, kissing my hair. "It's okay."

"No, it's not okay," I sobbed. "I acted so foolishly. I should have thought before I spoke! I should have talked to you about how I felt. I'm so sorry Edward."

"And I should have acted like a grownup instead of pulling a Tarzan-act on you," he added, gently hugging me to his chest.

I breathed in his familiar heavenly smell, effectively killing off all the doubts, fears and pressures that were weighing down on me. As long as I had Edward I could face anything the world would throw at me. We would face it together.

"Daddy?" I heard Libby's voice ask from around the corner.

"Sweetheart," Edwards said, sounding a little wary.

She stopped as she saw Edward and me standing in the doorway, still wrapped in each others arms and from the relieved look on her face I could see she had figured out what was going on already.

"You're not mad at each other anymore?" she asked. I could feel my heart break a little. I hadn't just scared Edward with my behavior, but Libby as well.

"No sweetie," I said, crouching down to hug her, "We're not mad at each other anymore."

"Did we scare you earlier, honey?" Edward asked. I held my breath, waiting for Libby to answer.

She bit her lip, nodding slightly.

"I'm sorry for that," Edward said, picking her up and enveloping Libby and me in a hug. "But you have to understand that even if mommy and I fight sometimes we still love each other very much." He looked at me when he said this. "And nobody is leaving, ever again, not even when we yell at each other."

"Do you promise not to yell at each other often?" she asked in a tiny voice. "It's still kind of scary."

"We promise," we said in unison. I leaned my head against Edward chest, looking at Libby who was wrapped around Edwards other shoulder, looking at me.

"I'm going to gag," Rose said from the other side of the kitchen rolling her eyes. She was never one for cuteness. Once, when we had been watching daytime television – she was still pregnant and cooped up at home – and a rerun of _The Little House on the Prairie_ had come on she had admitted that she would have payed for an alternate version of the opening credits where someone kicked cute little Laura in the back and would have send her tumbling down the stupid hill.

I laughed at her as she stood up, grabbing her bag. "I should go check on Emmett anyway. I don't like leaving the baby with him while he's at the gym. God knows he might try to give the poor little munchkin his first weightlifting lesson!"

Sadly enough, that sounded to much like the Emmett I knew and loved to me to laugh about that.

"Thanks Rose!" I said, hugging her.

"No problem," she smiled. "And just to show how fabulous I am I'm even taking the dog with me for a walk. He might be in need of some kibble soon."

I smiled. It really was nice of her to take care of Jacob. I would never ask a guest in my house to leave – well, not him anyway – but Edward, Libby and I really needed some quiet time as a family.

"Come on Fido, let's find you a nice big tree in the park," she yelled in an animated voice as she sashayed back into the living room.

All through dinner Edward kept shooting me smoldering glances of the kind that would make your thoughts go blurry, your legs shake and the heat to pool in between you legs.

Not the kind of looks you'd want your little girl to pick up on.

I kicked him under the table a few times but it didn't help. He just kept on provoking me, reducing me to a swooning mess every time he unleashed his dazzling stare on me. I even spilled some tomato soup on my sweater one time. Just because it was impossible for me to keep a spoon level under his smoldering gaze.

Fine.

If he wanted me to play dirty. I'd play dirty.

For once I was glad I'd learned from the master. During the years I had lived at Emmett's I had had to witness some really sick stuff going on under the table at times and for once I was actually glad of it.

I looked straight into his eyes as I let my foot creep up his legs. His eyes showed his amusement as he flashed his croocked grin at me. He was trying to call my bluff.

Little did he know I wasn't bluffing.....

As I moved my foot further op his legs and over to his hips I could see the notion of how mistaken he had been starting to dawn on his face. He looked at me with his mouth slightly open in surprise while he flashed anxious glances from me to Libby.

I hunched my shoulders and flashed a grin of my own to let him know it had all been his own fault.

As I brushed my foot over his groin I could see him fight to keep his composure. I briefly glanced at Libby – there was no need to have my little girl educated in the fine art of seduction so soon – but fortunately she seemed engrossed in spooning up her soup.

His mouth opened in a quiet moan as I caressed his now aroused length once more, flashing him an evil grin. He was still working with everything he had to keep the effect my actions were having on him a secret. He wasn't fooling anyone though. He looked pale as a sheet and his face was twisted in an expression of pleasurable pain and utter concentration.

"Mommy? Is daddy okay?" I heard Libby ask as she looked up from her plate. "He looks a little pale."

"I don't know sweetie, let's just ask him," I replied, brushing my foot over him once more.

I turned my head to face him and grinned at him. I had the distinct notion he let out a little pained yelp at that.

"Edward honey, are you okay?" I tried to make my voice sound as sugary sweet as possible.

"I-I'm fine," he croaked, "I think I might have swallowed a bit of my soup the wrong way. I just need a minute to compose myself."

Libby looked from me to him not understanding what was going on, but knowing there was more to this than met the eye. I retracted my foot, knowing it would only be moments until she would get the idea to look under the table. Edward immediately started to shift in his seat to get more comfortable and to hide his erection.

"I'll get you for this," he mouthed, as we both got back to eating our dinner.

"I'd love to see you try," I whispered back.

After I cleared the table Edward helped Libby with her reading exercises at the now empty dining table. It was adorable to hear Libby stumbling over the big words. She'd end up spelling them letter for letter before gluing those letters together into a word.

Edward tried to help her by whispering the syllables she was trying to construct in her ear. The poor darling almost got his head chewed off since Libby hated it when people prompted the answers. She thought discovering the answers was half the fun of learning new things.

"Daddy!" she scolded him, her face scrunched up in an almost frightening scowl. "Don't do that again!"

"Do what, honey?" Edward asked, not knowing what he did wrong.

"Don't tell me what the answer is! I was just about to find it out for myself and now you've ruined it!" She flung the book across the table and huffed, leaning her face in her hands while scowling at her father.

"Libby, that wasn't a very nice thing to do. He was only trying to help you," I scolded her. She could have a fierce little temper sometimes. "Now apologize to daddy and run upstairs to get changed for bed."

Libby whined a little but new better than to argue with me. "Sorry daddy," she pouted, giving Edward a kiss on the cheek. She already knew just how to wrap him around her little fingers. "I hope you're not mad at me. Will you still read to me tonight?"

"Of course I will sweetheart," Edward beamed. "I'll be up in a few."

As Edward followed Libby upstairs I got to work on doing the dishes. I put the plates and empty glasses and cups in the washing machine while dunking the pans in the sink. I found that – not matter how good your dishwasher was – it never got all the grime off and if you had to wash the damned things by hand anyway you might as well do it immediately.

I hated doing the dishes – I always had – but there was no use stalling it. It only made your task worse. As I got to work on the last pan I had to clean I could feel Edward sneaking up behind me.

"Is Libby in bed?" I asked, as I felt his hands sneak around my waist, pressing my body into his.

"Hmmm," he hummed against my neck, sucking on the skin. "She went out like a light."

"Good," I croaked. That meant no interruptions for the rest of the night.

As his mouth continued to work on my neck and the skin behind my ears I could feel one of his hands come up to cup my breasts while the other traveled passed the waistband of my yoga pants and into my underwear.

"E-Edward, w-what are you..... oh God....doing?" I panted as his fingers slipped inside of me.

"Just repaying you in kind for the little stunt you pulled on me earlier," he purred in my ear, licking my earlobe after he spoke.

I moaned, my hands letting the pan I was cleaning drop back into the dishwater, as Edward hands continued to move in and out, his thumb brushing over my throbbing bundle of nerves.

I let myself slump backwards against his body, feeling his erection in my back as he continued to pleasure me.

"Edward, please," I pleaded. I was getting close but I desperately wanted him to be inside me when I reached my high.

Before I knew what happened Edward had me turned around, lifted me onto the counter top and stripped me of my pants and underwear. I knew I should probably worry about getting my ass all wet and soapy but as Edward quickly pulled his rock hard erection out of his pants and slipped inside my wet center in one swift movement I couldn't quite bring myself to care.

Our movements were quick, frantic almost, without ever being rushed. His mouth devoured mine, sucking and snapping at my neck during the few short moments we broke for air, as we sprinted towards the finish line.

We slumped against each other, completely satisfied after we jumped over the edge together. If this was what make up sex would be like every time, then I could almost see myself provoking an argument.

"That.......was.......Amazing," I panted, trying to catch my breath again.

"What on earth makes you think I'm done with you yet?" Edward purred in my ear. It made me all too exited for round two.

"Why don't you run a bath while I finish up here?" I suggested, kissing a trail of wet kisses along his jaw.

"Good idea," he grinned, zipping up his pants again before swaggering out of the room. I found myself almost hypnotized by the movement of his hips and his perfect ass in his loose low riding jeans.

"Damn that sexy man and his sexy ass," I muttered as I hopped down from the counter top, searching for my pants. My ass was freezing from the cold water and the granite of the counter top but I couldn't care less. The only thing I cared about right now was getting the stupid dishes finished so I could join my very sexy man and his even sexier naked ass in the bath.

After I put the last pan back in it's rightful place I all but sprinted upstairs. I only slowed my pace when I got to the top of the landing in an effort not to wake Libby up.

As I passed the master bathroom I could hear the noises of the big iron bathtub filling with water. I had thought Edward would just use the smaller tub we had in our ensuite but apparently he felt like pulling all the stops this time.

I softly opened the door to see Edward, dressed in just his jeans moving around the room lighting the scented candles that lined every flat surface of the room. How did he have time to prepare all this?

"You're early," he said in a slightly disappointed tone. It was clear he hadn't wanted me to see the room before he had finished it and turned down the lights.

"All done," I smiled, switching off the lights, our bodies illuminated by nothing but soft candlelight now.

"Almost," he said, switching off the tabs before taking off his pants and stepping into the bath."Now I'm ready for you," he continued as he leaned back against the edge of the tub, looking at me with an expression of lust and longing.

"Is that so?" I purred in as suggestive a tone as I could muster while pulling my sweater over my head.

"Did I ever mention how much I like seeing you in a wet t-shirt?" he stated, his eyes focused on my chest. "You're making quite a habit out of it these days."

I blushed. I must have gotten wet when Edward had pushed me into the counter top earlier. I hadn't even noticed.

"Though I prefer looking at your chest without a wet t-shirt. In fact.......I'd prefer you to not wear any clothes at all," he continued.

"Really?" I asked, as I continued to drop more items of clothing, Edwards eyes never wavering from my body.

"Get over here," he grumbled as I stepped out of my panties.

"Impatient much?" I scolded, stepping into the bath at the opposite side of where he was sitting.

He wouldn't have any of that. Before I could drop my body down in the tub far enough to even let the water come up to my waist he had his arms around me crashing me into his chest.

My legs parted on either side of his hips as I sat down on his lap and I took him inside of me again without any further ado. We both moaned at the sensation as our bodies started swaying gently and tortuously slow in the water.

We took our time this time, loving and exploring every part of each others body until the water got cold and we had to move to the bedroom to continue our explorations there.

_**I'm not entirely happy with the way this chapter turned out. I managed to salvage most of it in editing (it used to be really crap) but I still think it could have been written better if I hadn't been completely stressed out and overworked. It's a shame because this chapter is kind of important. I blame Louis XVI. Thanks to him I had about sixty tests on the French Revolution to mark, leaving me with very little time to write and think things over.**_

_**The good news is that I'm through the worst of it which means I'm going to try and update twice again next week (I really like how the next chapter is coming along so I will be able to redeem myself for this chapter soon).**_

_**The way Bella acted in this chapter may seem rather egoistic and naive (part of that perhaps has something to do with the bits in Edwards POV) but you have to take into account the things she has gone through during the last few chapters. More about what she has been going through will be explained in the next few chapters. **_


	24. Classrooms and hospital beds

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Classrooms and hospital beds.**

I woke up alone in bed the next day to the annoying beeping sound of my alarm clock. Edward had probably left sometime ago. How he always managed to get up, get dressed and leave the house without waking me was still a mystery to me. I swear the man could sneak through the house like a master burglar.

I stumbled to the bathroom, splashing some water in my face and brushing my teeth before stumbling back into the bedroom to put on some clothes. The good thing about having Alice around was that now all my clothes – which had been picked out by the master herself – where organized in matching outfits. The only thing I had to do in the morning was select a hanger and dress myself.

As I got dressed and put on some makeup I thought back on yesterday. I had been so happy and surprised by Jacobs visit that I never stopped to think about how Edward would react to it. When Rose had pointed it out to me I had felt so stupid....so small.

I knew we would need to have another one of our heart to hearts sometime soon. I had to explain to Edward what was going on, how I had been feeling and how Jacob would never be a threat to us.

I still hoped Jake and Edward would get along after this. They both played such important parts in my life. Jacob had been my best friend since we had both been in diapers and he had been there for me through every step in my life, even if it had just been through long phone calls and the odd visit like the last couple of years. It would hurt me if my love for Edward would stand in the way of my friendship with Jacob.

"Libby sweetie, are you up yet?" I called, walking into Libby's room.

"Yes mommy!" In fact she was already up and fully dressed. Alice had made sure the everyday part of her wardrobe was hanging at a height were Libby could still reach it so she could pick out her clothes herself. Though Libby really enjoyed being able to take care of herself – she said it made her feel all grown up – I actually missed the conversations we would have in front of her closet. It was just another sign that my little girl was slowly starting to grow up.

"Are you alright mommy?" Libby asked, bounding over to me and wrapping her little arms round my legs. "Daddy and you didn't fight again did you?"

"No sweetie, we didn't," Little did she know we had done quite the opposite. "I was just thinking about how big you're getting. I kind of miss having you as a baby."

"You could always ask Santa for another one," Libby stated, as if it was common practice.

I couldn't help but giggle. "I wish it was that simple!"

"I would like to have a little brother or sister," she continued. "I'd even share my toys."

"We'll see about that!" I laughed. "These things take time and anyway, daddy and mommy just got back together. I think it's a little early to start talking about babies."

"Well, you'd better start soon if you want to be hearing the pitter patter of little feat. You're not getting any younger!" She said with a dead serious face.

What the.......?

"How did you come up with that?" I asked, unable to keep in my snorts.

"I heard it on the television," Libby said, a little embarrassed. I really had to keep a close eye on her when she was watching the tv next time. I didn't want her to get too old for her age.

"How about some breakfast?" I offered, saving both of us out of this situation.

"Can I have some of that fruit salad you made?" she asked. I knew how much she liked it.

"Of course sweetie."

While Libby was eating her breakfast I did her hair. She wanted to just keep it loose today with a ribbon in a color matching her violet dress keeping her hair out of her face. When we were done a look at the clock told me we had to hurry if we were to make it to Kindergarten on time.

As I dropped Libby off I was once again cornered by Victoria who had just ushered Felicity into the building. Ever since we met at the Christmas Ball she had let no opportunity pass by to talk to me. It made me despise her even more than I already did since I knew she only did it because she knew I was with Edward. Libby and me had never been good enough for her when I was just Bella Swan, English teacher.

"Can't stop now!" I called out as I saw her approach me. "I'm already late for work. I've got to rush!"

Technically that wasn't even a lie. I didn't have classes to teach until ten but I had a meeting with Jasper and Zafrina coming up about the trip to London. We had been planning and discussing everything for weeks and today we were going to get the ball rolling when we would officially open registration for the trip.

We had chosen to center our program around Richard II when we found out that Globe theater, the replica of Shakespeare's famous theater, was performing the play Shakespeare wrote about that infamous king when we were there. Since it covered all our subjects it had been pretty easy to come up with an assignment for our pupils. The hard thing was actually coming up with something that roughly covered the same subject for the students who wouldn't or couldn't join us.

I didn't intend to go to London when Aro had asked me. Sure, it would be an incredible opportunity to see more of the world and it would look very good on my record but there were also the practical implications to consider. Organizing an excursion took time – even set apart from the actual excursion itself - and I didn't know if I wanted to invest the time I could be spending with my family in checking out hostels and calling museums for information.

Of course Edward wouldn't hear of me staying behind. Him ordering me to go to London had caused flashbacks to the time – five years ago – when my mom had ordered me to go to Florida for Spring Break. He wasn't so happy when I explained to him why I was giggling like an idiot. Any mention of Renee had that effect on him.

I ran into the school building with only a minute to spare before the meeting with Jasper and Zafrina started. I hated being late, even if none of the two was going to hold it against me. I even had the sneaking suspicion Zafrina might be later than I was, she was never one for punctuality.

Jasper was another story altogether. He kept the time with an almost military precision, stating that history had often proved that a minute could make the difference between a happily ever after or a total bedlam.

I was surprised to see the both of them sitting around the desk in Jasper's classroom, looking totally miserable.

"Come on guys!" I yelled. "I'm not that late!"

"Not everything is about you Bella," Zafrina spat, launching a ball of paper in the direction of the bin. The ball missed it's target by a millimeter, bouncing off the rim.

"What's that about?" I asked, totally at a loss. It was obvious something was wrong. But what?

"You're cleaning that up," Jasper scowled, ignoring my question.

"Anal bastard," Zafrina glowered back. "It's not like those little fuckers aren't going to mess the place up as soon as they walk into the room. My humble little addition isn't going to cause the apocalypse."

"Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?" I yelled.

A few students strolling through the corridor froze in shock when they heard me and looked into the classroom with open mouth. I didn't usually use coarse language when I was at work.

"Aro has just told us the twins are joining us in London," Jasper stated, looking at me like I was the one who had caused all of this.

"Fuck," I sighed. "We're screwed."

Spending a week in London was amazing. I was looking forward to seeing the sights and taking in all of the culture and history.

Spending a week in London with the Volturi twins however, would be a disaster.

--

EPOV

--

We had just finished rounds and I was talking with some of the other residents back at the nurses station when I saw a tall, broad tree of a man walk in my direction. I immediately recognized him.

How could I forget him?

His miserable face was etched in my mind, like that of so many other miserable bastards in history I would really rather forget.

What was he even doing here at stupid o clock?

"How did you get here?" I growled. Jacob Black was the last person I wanted to see – at least not when he wasn't strapped to a gurney and at my mercy - when I was working, except perhaps for Renee.

"Emmett told me where you worked and since I think we really need to talk I figure I might as well visit," he stated calmly before allowing a smug little smirk to creep onto his face. "It lessens the chance you run away again."

"I did not run away from Bella," I snarled. "She asked me to leave." Man I really hated this guy.

"And that's better because....." I really wanted to knock that smug little grin off his face, preferaby punching out a few of his teeth as well.

"If all you wanted to do was pick a fight I suggest you leave now because I'm not taking," I hissed, noticing that Caius has spotted us.

"I'm not here to fight really," Jacob shrugged. "As I said, I came here to talk."

"Then talk and walk." I would have preferred him to start with the latter but I had a feeling he wouldn't leave before he had a chance to speak.

"Fine then," Jacob answered, rolling his eyes. "I guess I just wanted to say that you have nothing to fear from me."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"I saw the way you looked at us yesterday," he explained. "I know how it must have looked.....but that's not what it was."

"I know that," I grumbled.

"You could have fooled me," he smirked.

"Was that all you had to say?"

Nope," he grinned before turning serious. "Look," he said, "I'm not a bad guy once you get to know me. Bella and me have been friends since forever and all I want is to see her happy. There was a time when I thought I'd have to honor to take care of that, but I see now that she belongs with you."

"I won't stand between the two of you. I don't want to cause her pain," he sighed. "I still love her - I won't lie to you about that - I think part of me always will, but I know she doesn't think of me that way and anyways, I've found myself a new girl now. Someone who doesn't love me out of charity."

His pained smile betrayed how much he still hurt over that. Bella had told me about their back story last night so I knew what he meant. I almost felt sorry for the guy. I couldn't even think about how I would have felt if Bella had told me she didn't love me anymore when I found her again at the hospital. I was too far gone. I couldn't live without my Bella.

"So I won't kick your ass straight away," I grinned, sticking out my hand to call a truce. I knew Jacob was important to Bella. I owed it to her to give him a fair chance even though I didn't think I could ever bring myself to actually like the guy.

"I'd like to see you try," Jacob grinned back, shaking my hand before turning to leave. "I'll see you at Emmett's bachelor party!"

I groaned, remembering the party was only a day away. It really wasn't the kind of way I wanted to spend my nights off. The serious lack of all things Bella was one thing that bugged me about it, the suspicion that it was going to be reminiscent of that horrible eighties Tom Hanks movie that featured almost every bachelor party cliché in the book, including a donkey snorting cocaine.

"I think I liked you better when you didn't have a private life," I heard Caius say as I watched Jacob strolling off towards the elevator.

"Sometimes I do too," I sighed, grabbing my patients chart and trying to get my focus back on the job. Luckily I was only working half a shift today.

"That's my boy," Caius chuckled, patting me on the back. "Now go and harass some patients while I fantasize about your pretty girlfriend."

It was a good thing my hands were busy scribbling some new information on the charts because if they hadn't been I would have had to spend my free afternoon and evening looking for another hospital to complete my residency.

Caius had a knack at finding his resident's weak spots and teasing them relentlessly. With Kate it was her fear of not being taken seriously as a doctor because of her looks, with Garrett it was Kate and ever since the first time he had seen the two of us together Caius had known that my weak spot was Bella.

He had been trying to get to me ever since, claiming his tactic would make us better doctors since we would never let anything get to us. He actually considered himself the greatest teacher in the entire country.

"Don't look so sullen Cullen!" he grinned. I could tell he had been dying to use that one on me. "You know I'm only training you to be a better doctor."

"Oh really?" I asked. "And how is insulting my girlfriend going to make me a better doctor?"

"If you're not man enough to take my little insults in stride then how are you going to stand up to a ten foot biker who's hurtling abuse at you?" he explained.

"So you think you're actually helping me?"

"Sure!" he grinned. "This is a teaching hospital after all! What kind of teacher would I be if I didn't?"

I sighed exasperated as Caius paused to look at his watch. "Gotta run," he said, much to my relief, "my favorite telenovela is on in five minutes."

"Asshole," I muttered under my breath as he left.

"I heard that!" he sang walking to his office.

"Do you think we would actually learn more if we had a teacher who wasn't so morally depraved?" Kate asked, watching his retreating from.

"In know I would," I grumbled. It was a good thing I had an excellent example of how you could be a good doctor and still be a good person as well or I would have quit my job days after I first walked into this hospital. Caius was a brilliant surgeon, every bit as brilliant as Carlisle was in his field of medicine, and before I started my residency I had been very excited to work under him. However after starting to work in this hospital I soon found myself reluctant to take his teachings to heart, afraid they would turn me into someone like him.

"At least we'll keep each other grounded," Kate said. "Please just shoot me if I ever turn into him." Her disdain was clear in her voice.

"Only if you promise to do the same," I replied.

"Oh, I don't think you're in any danger there!" Kate laughed. "I think Bella and Libby would kick your butt if you start acting like Caius."

"I believe they would!" I laughed, grabbing a chart and taking off to see my next patient.

Thinking about Bella brought yesterday's events back into mind and as I thought back on the events that followed our first official argument as a couple a plan started to form in my head. As amazing as last night had been, it had all been about restating the physical claim we held on each other.

We needed to have another heart to heart. I wanted to know what she had been thinking during those days when she had closed herself off from me. I desperately wanted to help her, but she would have to let me in. I also wanted to apologize to her for the way I had acted and show her how much I loved her.

"You seem a little....distracted today, doctor Cullen!" my patient, mrs. Cope said as I eased her back onto her pillows after checking her breathing.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "There is a lot on my mind right now."

Mrs. Cope had been in and out of the hospital for some time now. She had had problems with her heart for the biggest part of her life but after her husband had died of cancer last year it almost seemed as if she was giving up. She had even refused to be added to the transplant list, stating that someone brave enough to give up their organs after their death deserved to have them placed in the body of someone young and vital, not a 'tired old bat' like she was.

"Does it have anything to do with the fact that that miserable oaf of a man that is your boss made some inappropriate remarks about your girlfriend at the Christmas Ball?" she asked, patting my hand.

"How do you know about that?" I asked in wonder. I couldn't remember telling her about it.

"I may be having some trouble with my heart, that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with my head!" she giggled. It was nice to see a smile on her face, even if it was at my expense. "This hospital thrives on gossip and since I have nothing better to do with my days I can't help but listen to the ins and outs of my physicians private lives."

"It has something to do with that.." I explained.

"Then you really need to take your girlfriend out for a night on the town and show her how much you love her," she said. "It might be old fashioned, but I've found that nothing is more romantic than a quiet dinner and some hot steamy sex after that."

My mouth fell open in shock. Did mrs. Cope – sweet, ailing granny Cope – just advise me to have hot steaming sex with my girlfriend?

"Doctor Denali was right," she chuckled, "you are a horrible prude!"

"W-what?" I stammered.

"What are you standing around here for? Go arrange something!" she said, shooing me away. "No need to bother the old bat with the bad heart."

I laughed, walking over to the door while fishing my cell phone from my lab coat. I had just the plan that would meet all of Mrs. Cope's requirements for the perfect evening.

"Oh and Edward?" she asked, just before I left the room.

"Yes, Mrs Cope. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Could you bring your girlfriend and that adorable little girl the two of you have by some day?" she sounded almost apprehensive, like she was asking for to much. "I'd really like to meet them."

"It would be an honor, Mrs. Cope," I said, before smiling at her one last time and closing the door. She was such a sweet lady, one of my first patients after I started my residency, and it pained me to know that she wouldn't be around for much longer. Sometimes being a doctor was really hard, especially in cases such as this when you were completely helpless. All we could do now was try to make her lasts moths as comfortable and pleasant as we could.

I made the necessary phone calls and somehow managed to get through the remainder of my shift. Somehow the day had been uncharacteristically slow. It was almost like the good people of New York where holding off on getting wounded until Christmas, when we would be understaffed and overworked.

Luckily Jasper had had the morning off so he was able to pick up my call and help me out. I needed his help to get into the school to surprise Bella. I knew enough about school policies to know that it would take more than a smile to get passed the receptionist and I didn't want to embarrass Bella by having someone pull her out of her classroom to announce her boyfriend had arrived. Aro had been breathing down her neck quite enough lately and I didn't want to add to her ordeal.

After I was done discussing my plans with Jasper I called Rosalie. I knew I still wasn't very high up her favorite person list – I think I was ranked only a few places higher than Renee – but I did think she would help me this time, considering the fact that I was doing someone romantic for Bella – who was very high up on her favorite person list – and there was the promise of subjecting Bella to a makeover.

I wasn't disappointed. Rosalie squealed when I told her about my plan and she was more than happy to cooperate – even coming up with a few suggestions to improve my original plan. She was also more than happy to pick up Libby from kindergarten and have her stay over at their place tonight.

I must have been grinning like an idiot at the prospect of having a full night and most of next morning alone with Bella because next thing I knew I heard a light chuckle next to me.

"Big plans for tonight?" Kate grinned.

"Don't scare me like that woman!" I squeaked, jumping a little as the sound of her voice startled me. I was just relieved when I found out is was just Kate. "I thought you were Caius!"

I felt a sharp sting at my cheek. "What the....."

"Oh my God Edward! Did Kate just slap you? What did you do?" Garrett hiccuped, doubling over in laughter.

Great! Why did he have to witness the fact that I had just been beaten up by a girl? His girl, to make matters worse.

"He accused me of being Caius," Kate huffed, crossing her arms in front of her while she glared daggers at me. "And that after I saved his sorry ass a few nights ago."

"He's been creeping up on me all day!" I defended myself. "So I'm sorry he was the first person I thought of when I heard someone sneaking up on me!"

"He's been like that ever since he met that new girlfriend he's been seeing," Garrett nodded. "What's her name again?"

"Victoria," I snorted. I appeared that Victoria – seeing that there were bigger fish in the pond – had dropped the pensioner she had been seeing like a bad habit and set her cap at Caius House. As much as I was looking forward to watching this meeting of giants unfold, his behavior had actually taken a turn for the worse.

"Ah, yes! The little gold digger that was giving every rich bloke under sixty at the Christmas Ball the eye," he snorted. "Did you know Romano is actually heartbroken about her dumping him for House?"

"I didn't know," I laughed. "But I can imagine it." From what I knew doctor Romano, the elderly doctor that had escorted Victoria to the ball was an unpleasant man with a huge chip on his shoulder. It would be a huge blow to his ego the be dumped for the equally unpleasant and arrogant doctor House, just because the latter was a little higher up the food chain in the hospital.

"I'm just dying to know who will win the epic gathering of the love rats!" Kate grinned.

I couldn't help but agree.

I had told them all about Victoria's past history. She may have been an expert on breaking hearts and stealing money but House wasn't a small fish either. He had gone through more women than underpants, either sending them packing as soon as he got enough of them – which was soon – or having them walking out on him before that.

"Speaking about rats," I said, "how is your sister doing?"

"Still nursing a black eye," Kate grinned, high fiveing me. Kate had never been known for controlling her temper and when her sister had had the nerve to ask her what the hell she thought she was doing after Kate pulled her out of the building during the Christmas Ball she had really lost it and punched her in the face.

"Did I thank you enough for that?" I grinned back.

"My pleasure," Kate smiled. "I just wish I would have gone for the nose in stead of the eye. It would have given her a nice lingering reminder of what happens when you try to skank you way into other people's relationships."

"A black eye suits me just fine," I chuckled, my smile quickly fading as I thought back on Tanya's behavior that night. I knew that at some point I would need to talk to Tanya to set her straight once and for all. But not now. I had to cool down a little more before I could do that.

"I thought you were against using violence against women?" Garrett chuckled.

"I am," I replied. "But when it's women using violence against other women it's not as bad. Especially not if the situation calls for it."

"And that situation so called for it," Kate added.

"By the way," I said, glancing at the clock. "I've gotta go."

"Hot date?" Garrett asked.

"Yup!" I replied.

"Say hello for Bella from me," Kate yelled after me as I was almost running to the locker room. "Tell her that if she's disappointed with your performance tonight she can keep me company during my graveyard shift. There's plenty of Godiva left!"

"I highly doubt she'll be left wanting!" I yelled back.

I quickly changed out of my work clothes and slalomed my way through traffic, arriving at the school right on time. Jasper was already waiting for me by the school gate.

"Thanks for letting me in!" I said, shaking his hand.

"No problem mate," he laughed. "It's for a good cause. Do you want a tour while you wait? Bella's still teaching her last class of the day."

"Sure," I shrugged. All I wanted to do was run through the corridor, barge into Bella's classroom, throw her over my shoulder and run off with her but I knew that was out of the question so I would just have to settle for a tour of the school while I waited for Bella's last class of the day to finish.

He show me around the usual places a school held: the auditorium, the cafeteria, the empty hallways and the classrooms filled with pupils working.....or not. When we walked through the school library Jasper paused by a row of bookshelves that held the English literature section of the library.

"Do you know how many of these books Bella harassed the school into buying?" he chuckled.

"Let me guess," I replied, "all of them?"

"Not all," he snorted. "But it's safe to say at least two out of every three shelves were filled at Bella's instigation." He pointed at the two overstuffed book cases at the far end of the corridor. They held books whose covers I recognized because they graced the walls in our study at home as well.

"How come I'm not surprised?" I laughed, letting my fingers trail over the tattered spines.

"You should have seen her!" Jasper said. "I think it's the only time she actually sought out Aro. She just barged into his office and told him straight out that the English section in the library was a disgrace."

"She did that?" I had heard enough about Aro Volturi to imagine his face when my Bella told him that.

"I think Aro would have preferred it if she just flat out kicked him in the balls. To tell him his library was inadequate was a bigger insult than that would have been."

He led me back through the corridor again after that, saying that the last period was almost over so we could make our way over to Bella's classroom.

Finally!

However before we reached it we had another big hurdle to take and it was currently walking towards us with a huge fake smile on his face.

"Mr Whitlock, you don't know how much it pleases me to see your commitment to this school. Coming in on your afternoon off! And you've brought a friend!"

"Actually," Jasper said, shifting his weight around nervously, "Edward is here to see Ms. Swan."

"I remember seeing you at the hospital's charity ball," he said, his attention shifting from Jasper to me while his eyes scrutinized every aspect of my being. I suddenly understood why Bella and Jasper felt so uncomfortable around him.

"Edward is picking Bella up from here," jasper explained. "I'm just bringing him over to her classroom."

"Oh, very well," Aro said, distracted by the ringing of his telephone in the pocket of his jacket. "have a nice weekend." With that he walked off.

Jasper let out a sigh of relieve. "let's get you to Bella so I can go back to hiding in my own classroom and grade some papers."

"Do you make a habit of hiding out in there?" I chuckled.

"From what I heard I'm not the only one who has a boss worth hiding from," he smirked, slapping me on the back.

"True," I acknowledged as we walked through another corridor. Classrooms lining both sides of the long space. When we reached the end of it I suddenly found myself gazing at the woman I loved through the windows that separated her classroom from the corridor.

Judging by the way she was acting she was deep into some kind of argument, her hand gesticulating as she spoke while she was sitting on the edge of her desk.

I let my eyes wander through the classroom – even though it almost pained me to tear them away from the vision of perfection sitting in front of it – and looked at the pupils, most of which were listening intently to what my love told them, some taking notes.

Further to the back of the classroom two smallish pupils, both pale and lanky with short, pale brown hair. They looked utterly bored and – judging by the look of it – the girl was plotting something.

"Are those...." I started, never averting my gaze from the two.

"The Volturi twins," Jasper sighed. "Or, as we call them, the witch twins."

I had heard a lot about them, enough to know how much trouble those two, innocent looking, children were able to cause. Part of me wanted to run into the classroom, snatch one of those revolting little miscreants into each hand and chuck them out of the window just so they wouldn't cause my Bella any more grieve.

I knew that wasn't going to solve anything though. It would only make matters worse, since Bella would then have their father on her back. I was definitely going to have to work on my temper though.

"I'll get back to my classroom," Jasper said. "If you need my help for anything, just ask. And if I don't see you again.....have fun tonight!" He winked at me before turning and walking into a classroom at the opposite side of the corridor.

I tried to focus on Bella's voice, avoiding the evil brood and whatever disturbance they were plotting. I needed to stay calm if I wanted to execute my plan to perfection.

".........so you see, all of these paintings and the play that Shakespeare wrote may actually have been part of a big smear campaign set up by the Tudors," I could hear Bella say, smiling as a few of the pupils stuck their hands in the air.

"So did the bloke kill those kids or not?" a boy asked.

"Actually Demetri," Bella paused and smiled, "in 1997 a US Supreme Court found Richard not guilty on a charge of murdering the two princes. But I'm getting ahead of myself. This is actually what you're going to be investigating during your trip to London."

I chuckled. Bella had been so full of the upcoming trip to London ever since she had decided – or better: I had ordered her – to go. I had laughed in her face when she had said that she didn't want to burden me with the care of our daughter on top of my work at the hospital. This was such an important opportunity for her. Not only did the head of the school trust her enough to let her organize a foreign excursion, it would also be a chance for her to see more of the world. I was sure that between Alice, Emmett, Rosalie and myself Libby would not be left wanting while Bella was away.

"I have a question for you Ms. Swan," a high, shrilly voice sounded. I didn't have to look to know who that voice belonged to.

"Yes Jane," I had to admire Bella for keeping her cool. From what I had head she knew that every time a Volturi would ask a question it would be a smoke screen, a means of trying to pierce her armor, to see where her weaknesses lay.

"How can we know all those things for certain?" The little witch started. "I mean, historians may _think _that Richard III was okay now, but they have thought he was a cruel murderer for centuries before."she paused to add more power to her little speech. "What's to say they got it wrong again?'

"That's an excellent question, Jane," Bella said, somehow forcing a smile on her face. "It certainly is a question that will be addressed in the lessons Mr Whitlock and I will be teaching when we're discussing Shakespeare's play next spring. However, this lesson is only meant to give you a general idea of the excursion so you won't mind me saving your question for later, do you?"

"But...." Jane started, before Bella cut her off again.

"Plus, since your question deals with the historical figure of Richard III, I think it is best if you asked Mr. Whitlock during your history classes. We will be dealing exclusively with the depiction of Richard II in fiction in English class."

"You're just saying that because you don't know the answer!" Jane shrieked.

I really had to hold on to the windowsill to keep myself from running into the classroom and kick the little shit into next Wednesday. Where did she get off talking to Bella like that.

Bella, however, never let on that she was offended by Jane's remark other than a slight upwards movement of her eyebrow which only someone who knew her very well would recognize as slight amusement.

"You know behavior like that will only end up in another visit to your father's office," she mused, her amusement seeping into her big expressive eyes, "and I doubt he will be very happy to see you there after the last conversation I had with him."

"You wouldn't dare!" Jane hissed, her brother next to her nodding so furiously I was almost afraid his head was going to fall off.

"Try me," Bella chuckled, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Jane growled at her before dramatically chucking her binder and pen in a bag and storming out of the classroom, nearly bumping into me as she walked passed, her brother trailing behind her like some sort of lap dog. From what I had heard this was common practice with the Volturi's.

The bell rang not a minute after the Volturi's had made their dramatic exit and most of the pupils began filing out of the room, most of them discussing the excursion. The ease with which she dealt with them making my heart flow over with pride.

I could have watched her all day whilst she went about her day to day routines. She had that effect on me every time she walked into the room. I just found myself unable to concentrate on anything but her. Sometimes I was even scared I was neglecting Libby because I was to wrapped up in the hypnotizing effect her mother had on me.

I was so wrapped up in watching the woman I loved, taking in every smile and twinkle of her eyes, I didn't even notice her final pupil leaving the room.

"It's safe to come in now," Bella chuckled, leaning against the door frame.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked. I had been careful to keep my presence hidden so as not to cause Bella any kind of embarrassment.

"Oh please!" she snorted. "You've been standing in front of the window ogling me like a lovesick puppy! I was amazed none of the pupils noticed. Jane would have had a field day if she saw you!"

"I'm sorry," I muttered. I hoped she wasn't angry about my unwittingly nearly giving the Volturi's the perfect ammo to attack her with.

"Don't be," she said, standing on tiptoe to give me a hug. "I loved the fact that I had my knight in shining armor standing outside the door, all to willing to barge in and save his lady from the clutches of the evil witch twins!"

I leaned in to kiss her, surprised when she hungrily claimed my lips instead of settling for a small peck. "Bella," I warned. "If you don't want to give your students something to really set the gossip going you'd better put some distance between us."

"I don't want to," she said, rubbing her nose along my neck. I tightened my hold on her waist. It was all I could do to prevent myself from lifting her up in the air, throwing her on her desk and take her right there and then.

As hot as that may have been it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do considering everybody could see what was happening in the room and there were still classes being taught all around us.

Finally I managed to control my urges enough to gently pry her arms away from me and push her back. My heart nearly broke as she let out a disappointed whimper.

"What are you doing here anyway?" she asked when she had composed herself again.

"I'm picking you up for a night on the town," I replied.

"A night on the town?"

"I've made dinner reservations for us and Rose volunteered to take care of Libby tonight," I explained.

"What did you have to give her in return?" she asked suspiciously. She knew us too well.

"Nothing," I tried to make my voice sound casual so she would believe me.

No such luck. She just arched one of her perfect eyebrows and looked at me, demanding an answer.

"I might have promised she would get some Bella-time while she helped you get ready for our date."

"You'd better have something amazing planned for tonight if you ever want me to forgive you for throwing me to the wolves like that!" she grumbled.

"Trust me love, you'll like it," I chuckled, kissing her head as I lead her back to where I remembered the staffroom was.

I dropped her off at Emmett and Rosalie's place before collecting Libby and running a few errants from home. It pained me to leave Bella's side for even a few minutes, but I had to get everything perfect for tonight and I really wanted to spend some time alone with my daughter as well.

_**I'm absolutely in love with this chapter. Not as much as I love the next one – I mean come on, that one has steamy sex and chocolate soufflé (yes, all at once) but still, I'm really happy with the way this one turned out. To think these chapters weren't even supposed to be written! I originally planned to skip straight from the previous chapter to Rose's bachelorette party but while writing that one I figured some things needed explaining. The next chapter will have the date in it and it will explain more about why Bella is so quick to think she doesn't deserve Edward.**_


	25. Heart to heart

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**Part of the credit for this chapter goes to Mischief-Maker1 (love ya!) for coming up with the idea for the private dinner. All I had to do was add the chocolate soufflé. If you haven't already, go read her stories. They are made of awesome!**_

_**I added links on my profile to Bella's dress, the restaurant and chocolate soufflé (for those who don't know what it looks like – do they even exist? - or those who just want to gush over the gooey chocolaty deliciousness).**_

**Heart to heart. (lemon)**

"You know what he's got planned, don't you," I said, tightening my eyes to slits as I looked at Rose through the mirror glass.

"I do, but I'm not telling." She enjoyed being in the know a little too much for my liking.

"I'll remember that the next time you're in hospital alone," I grunted.

"Oh shut it you baby!" she giggled, whacking me on the head with her comb. "You're going to enjoy yourself! That's what matters."

"I am?" Maybe this would make her give something away.

"You know Edward, right?" she snorted. "So you know he'll probably have something revoltingly romantic planned out."

I laughed. Rose had never been one for romance – except for the day when she was getting married. She and Emmett were a match made in heaven since my dear brother probably wouldn't recognize a romantic gesture if it came up and slapped him in the face.

"Yes, he's very good at that," I said, smiling as I thought about all the romantic things Edward had done since we had gotten back together.

"Ugh! I'm going to hurl!" Rose said, making gagging noises. "Please just slap me again if I ever go all gooey like that!"

"Your face would have been black and blue if I would have done that when Emmett and you first got back together!"

"Would not!" she yelled, yanking on an errant strand of my hair.

"Oh please!" I said rolling my eyes. "If I'd had a dollar for every time I walked in on you and my brother in some form of PDA I would have been a bloody millionaire!"

"That's different," she stated, fixing my hair with some styling products. "That's because what we do is hot, not nauseating. If Emmett would ever write me a love poem I would divorce his sorry ass in a minute."

"Thank God you're in no great danger there!" I chuckled.

"I guess not," she laughed. "I mean I love your brother with all my heart and I can't wait to get married to him, but all that romantic stuff is really giving me the creeps. I fell for that once before and look where that made me end up." She shivered as she remembered her past. "After my little brush in with Royce and his croonies I promised myself I would never fall for all that romantic crap again. However you're free to like it."

"Why thank you," I replied. When I had first met Rose she was still recovering from that horrible night when her drunk boyfriend and his friends had attacked her in the streets and left her for death. She had just pulled up her defenses, some of which she was only now slowly starting to let down. To the outside world she still came off as prickly and unpleasant but I knew what was lurking underneath.

It had taken me some time to get used to the way she treated my brother. Okay, I knew every snide remark she made was a veiled declaration of love, but still I couldn't help myself from getting into 'protective sister mode' every time she called Emmett a dumb ass. In time I had gotten used to it and since Emmett seemed to think it was just part of their foreplay it didn't bother me anymore. In fact, it had kind of started to gross me out.

"Come on," she snickered, shooing me into the bedroom. "Let's just get you dressed. Edward and Libby should be here soon."

Edward told me he was going to pick up Libby from kindergarten after dropping me off at Rose's to spend some time alone with her this afternoon. I swear those two were thick as thieves but I was past the stage where that made me feel jealous or left out. I was just counting my blessings really.

It would have been so easy for Edward to back out of all of this when he found out I had a child, or to be completely spooked by it. Who knew he would be so natural at being a dad? He had just taken to it like he had never done anything else, though I knew that it must have been hard for him to come to terms with all of this.

It made me feel even more guilty for allowing myself to get so caught up in my own misery the last few days. Here he was, just trying to come to terms with everything that happened and trying to adjust to the completely new direction his life had taken, and I go and get all distant and broody on him.

I would never forgive myself for asking him to leave. I shouldn't have done it, not even if his behavior infuriated me the way it did. I knew it was his biggest fear that I would leave him again and – since I shared that fear – I could totally understand how he must have been feeling.

"Are you going to get dressed or what?" Rose said, smirking at me.

"Yes," I said, shaking my head to clear away my thoughts. "What have you picked for me?"

Ever since Edward and I had got back together I had developed a whole new appreciation for fashion. I still didn't care about it and I really couldn't give a toss about who designed it, but whenever Edward took me out I wanted to look nice for him and if that meant stuffing my body into some horribly overpriced dress then so be it. At least Rose and Alice were taking care not to torture me with heals that were too high.

"This looks rather nice," I said, brushing my hand over the simple black dress Rose had laid out for me on the bed.

"Thanks! Alice and I picked it out for you right before she left for LA," she replied.

"What would I do without the two of you?" I mocked, lifting the dress over my head.

"Probably wear sweats!" she snorted. "By the way, do you know what the guys have planned for the bachelor party?"

"Nope," I said, shaking my head. "Felix wouldn't tell."

"Bloody idiots," Rose huffed, shifting the dress so it looked perfect.. "It's not as I we don't know there will probably be strippers and beer involved."

"Are you okay with that?" I asked. I knew how revolted Edward had been by the prospect of having to go through the traditional bachelor-party Felix was throwing Emmett. The look on his face whenever someone mentioned it pretty much cleared away any hint of jealousy I might have felt.

"Sure," Rose shrugged. "I know Emmett would like to have a traditional bachelor bash and it's not like he's going to cheat on me. I know he'd rather chew off his dick than stick it into some other skank's body."

"TMI!" I yelled, trying frantically to wash the mental picture from my head.

"And it's not like those strippers have anything on me anyway," she concluded, looking at her own reflection with a smug little grin. She was right, though maybe a bit overconfident. After giving birth to Charlie she had wasted no time shedding her pregnancy weight and she was now almost back to her former supermodel shapes. Right in time for the wedding.

"Rose, you do know it's midwinter right?" I said, after a gush of cold air had made me turn in front of the mirror to see why my back was feeling so cold. The dress – which I had initially thought to be nice and covering – actually had a plunging neckline. That explained the special bra she had made me wear!

"As I said before..........don't be such a baby," she scolded. "You'll be indoors most of the time anyway so you won't be having any problems with that. And just think about Edwards reaction when he sees it."

I couldn't help a blush and a smile from appearing. "That's my girl," she smiled, patting my revealed back.

"I just want to make up for how horrible I was to him the other day," I sighed.

"If you want, I could give you some pointers for that," she giggled, waggling her brows suggestively.

"I might just have taken you up on that offer if I didn't know your practice material so well," I laughed, nearly jumping up to the ceiling when the doorbell rang.

"Just go with your gut," Rose advised, rising to open the door. "Or if that fails, just follow your vagina!"

Rose would always be Rose, I was glad to see that motherhood hadn't changes any of that.

The way Edwards eyes lit up when he saw me enter the foyer sent a shiver down my spine. I carefully spun around to give him a better look of my appearance and the muffled hiss I heard when I had my back to him confirmed how much he liked my dress.

I quickly said goodnight to Libby, who was dragging her new Hello Kitty trolley – courtesy of Alice - behind her before returning my attention to Edward.

"Are you ready to go?" his velvety voice asked, his eyes scorching into mine.

"Yes," I croaked, taking his hand.

"Have fun you kids!" Rose giggled, handing Charlie over to Libby who held him very carefully. The little boy was starting to look more like Emmett every day.

"We will," Edward purred before leading me out of the building.

It wasn't really a surprise to me to see the Vanquish waiting for us, a small crowd gathering to look at it.

"Not that's a fine piece of machinery you've got there mister Cullen," Sammy, the doorman to Emmett's building, said.

"I know," Edward said, gazing lovingly at his priced possession. "And the appearance has nothing on what goes on under the hood!"

"I have no doubt about that," Sammy replied, winking at me before he walked back towards the entrance of the building. "Now have fun miss Bella."

"I will," I said, as Edward helped me into the car and sped off through the streets of New York. I tried to figure out where we were going but stopped, the city lights flashing by at a dazzling speed started to give me a headache.

I focused on something infinitely more pleasant instead. Edwards face.

"You know it's impolite to stare...." Edward chuckled, rounding a corner.

"It's just because you're so damn pretty!" I teased back, noticing we were slowing down before we pulled over in front of an old building with a white arch, revealing two rustic looking doors.

"This place was built as a carriage house in the eighteenth century," Edward explained as I studied the buildings facade. "The restaurant itself takes it's name from a verse in a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow."

"One if by land, two if by sea?" I asked. I had heard about this place. It was supposed to be the most romantic restaurant in New York. Edward had really outdone himself tonight.

He nodded. "Would you like to take a look inside?"

I took his arm again and together we walked into the building. The inside was a charming as the outside. You really got a feel of the character of the building with the exposed brick walls, the blazing fireplaces, the wooden tables and chairs scattered across the room and the eighteenth century paintings that lined the walls of the large space that used to hold the carriages of the wealthy New Yorkers.

"Cullen," Edward announced to the hostess. I really didn't like the way she was giving Edward the eye, especially not since I was standing right next to him. It sure as hell made me understand Edwards actions from yesterday a bit better.

"Ah," she replied. "I'll just check to see if your room is ready."

"Room?" I asked, turning to Edward.

"I thought it would be nice to have a little privacy during our dinner," he stated, ignoring my baffled expression.

The hostess came back after that, cutting short any further questions I had. She brought us over to a smaller room at the end of a corridor which held only one table. The walls in this room had been plastered and painted in a cozy deep red. The fireplace and painting making it feel almost homely, but with a more romantic touch to it.

Edward held out my chair for me as I sat down, still taking in the room around me. "Edward, it beautiful!" I sighed as I was done studying the room. "But you didn't have to do this. I would have been happy fixing us some dinner at home!"

"Silly Bella," he chuckled. "I wanted to do this. To make up for all the terrible mistakes I've made over the last couple of days."

"You've made mistakes?" I shook my head, he was trying to take the blame again. This time I wouldn't let him. "It's I who should be doing all of this."

"If I didn't insist on dragging you kicking and screaming to a ball, none of it would have happened," he said, taking my hand over the table and rubbing his thumb over the ball of my hand.

"But I should have been stronger and I should have been more honest with you about the way I was feeling. If I had only done that....."

I was cut off by the arrival of a waiter who handed us the menus and a basket of bread. Edward ordered us some wine and water before we could get back to our talk.

"I'm not letting you take the blame for this Bella," he stated. "I should have been more attentive to the things you were going through. I could have known that with Caius there it would be a big disaster and with everything you have been going through at work and with Renee I should have known better."

"Edward!" I said, trying to make my voice as confident as possible. "I know you like to take the blame for every bad thing that happens in our lives but I won't let you."

He shook his head, gearing up to speak but I silenced him before he could say anything.

"Yes, I've been through a lot lately but that doesn't change the fact that I acted selfishly. I should never have let Tanya, doctor House and everybody else get to me like that. I should have placed more trust in you. In us. I owe you that."

He looked away, it was his way of accepting that I had a point.

The waiter came back with the wine Edward had requested and we placed our orders. The appetizers and first course came and went without much conversation. We just remarked on the amazing tastes of our dishes and asked polite questions about work. We both knew we were just building up to the main talk. We had only been skirting around the edges earlier.

I felt ready to burst by the time the waiter brought the main course in. Edward must have felt the same because it was he who first broke the silence.

"I talked to Jacob earlier today," he stated as he took a first bite from his main course.

I took in a sharp breath. "I thought you had to work?"

"I did," Edward chuckled, knowing I was only feigning calmness. "He came by at the hospital."

"Did he leave in the same state he arrived?" I asked, remembering the livid stare down that had taken place at our place yesterday.

"Depends," he shrugged, slicing his knife through his meat.

"On what?" I knew he had me right where he wanted me, but I couldn't care less. I hated it when he was acting all cool and innocent.

"On whether or not he got into an accident on his way down to the main lobby," he chuckled, offering the bit of his duck breast he had just sliced off for me to taste.

"So you talked?" I asked with my mouth full. "Oh my God, this is delicious by the way..."

"I know. Remind me to leave a big tip..." he chuckled. "And yes...we talked. We even came to some sort of arrangement."

"Arrangement?"

"We've called a truce," he grinned, taking a large sip of his wine, while playing with his fork.

"Good," I nodded. "So the two of you will stop acting like total idiots the next time you're around each other?"

"I wasn't acting like an idiot Bella," he stated. "I was just jealous and confused. It's a perfectly normal reaction when you love someone – or so I've heard."

"It might be normal," I replied, "but I don't think I like it very much when you ca accuse me of cheating on you."

He blushed and suddenly found something very interesting about the way his vegetables were arranged on his plate. "I'm sorry about that," he muttered. "I've never felt as strongly about anyone ever before as I do about you. I guess I let myself get carried away in my jealousy. I will try to work on that in the future."

"Edward," I smiled, prying the fork from his hand and taking it in mine. "It's not the jealousy in itself I hate – if anything I find it rather sexy – it's the fact that you didn't trust me that has me worried."

"So you like my being jealous?" He smirked, flashing his perfect crooked grin.

"Don't let this get to your head, but yes....I kind of like it," I admitted. "It proves me you love me enough to fight for me. But you're evading the question."

"Which was...."

"Why you didn't trust me," I repeated. "Why you were so quick to think I was cheating on you."

He took a deep breath. "I was afraid that after the ball I had lost you. You were acting so distant and evasive that it was almost as if you were severing your ties with me. I was so afraid of loosing you that I wasn't thinking straight. I can't tell you how sorry I am for the way I acted."

He flipped our hands so that my hand was now in his, placing a kiss on the back of my hand before giving it a slight squeeze and releasing it.

"It's okay," I whispered., knowing my time to talk was coming up rapidly. "I'm sorry for making you feel that way. Even now I feel like a total hypocrite for accusing you of not trusting me when I did the same thing to you. And more."

"You're no hypocrite Bella," he sighed. "Nobody who has seen what you've had to go through would ever think of calling you that. What made you close yourself off from me though?" he asked, his concern showing on his face. "Was it just the effects of the ball or is there more to it? Emmett told me it wasn't the first time you've acted like that."

"It's just that...........I was afraid," I stammered, busying myself with my food to not have to look at the reaction on his face or – if I managed to keep my mouth full – to react to the questions that were bound to ensue.

"You were afraid?" he asked. I could hear his confusion in his voice.

I nodded, shoving another huge fork full of food into my mouth.

"Talk to me Bella," he demanded, taking my hand before I could take another bite. "Please, I want to understand what's going on in your head."

I sighed. I guess I owed him that much.

"I'm still afraid that one day you'll wake up and realize I'm not good enough for you."

"Why?" he said. He sounded so confused and ......frustrated. "Haven't I told you time and time again that I don't want anyone else but you? That I'm the one who should be frightened of that?"

"It won't help, not even if you tell me a thousand times," I sighed, unable to hide my own frustration. How could I explain to him that nothing he could ever say or do could quite undo the damage that had been caused years ago? That it would take time and many more breakdowns before my fear would really go away?. "It's just.....some things that happened in the past."

"Tell me," he asked, his eyes scorching into mine, almost as if they were trying to dazzle the truth out of me. "Please."

"In college.......no I have to go farther back," I interrupted myself. "Growing up in a small town like Forks isn't as romantic and idyllic as it's cracked up to be. Not only is it one of the most rainy places in the world, there are also some drawback to growing up in a place where everyone knows everyone."

"People aren't as open minded and cosmopolitan as they are over here for starters....... I mean, they still have dreams......Every kid in my class wanted the same thing: go off to college and get the hell out of Forks. Most of them, however, knew deep down inside that after their education they would come back, marry their high school sweetheart, start a family and end up at Forks cemetery."

"My mom was the perfect example of that. She was going to go to college and get the hell away from Forks, maybe even go to a big city like Seattle or something, and become a career woman. She was so disappointed when she got knocked up by my dad at her senior prom. She saw it as a sign that her life was over before it had even begun. When I was born she was determined not to let me end up like her. I was going to study hard, get good grades and become everything she had never managed to achieve herself."

"When it turned out that I was good at school and achieved perfect grades the others somehow saw it as a sign that I was looking down on them. That I thought I was better than them because I had a good set of brains in my head. The only person who liked me just the way I was – apart from my family – was Jake. He always defended me in class when the other kids were picking on me," I chuckled. "He was kind of like my hero. That's why I love him so much.........as a friend though, never as more than that."

"I wouldn't have fitted in regardless of my.....ambitions though," I added. "I was never blond or thin enough to be popular, too clumsy to be asked out on trips to the beach and too gloomy and broody to be considered prime dating material."

"I thought it was going to be so different when I went off to college. Since I was the only kid in my class who got accepted to an Ivy League school I was going to be free at last. Or so I thought," I couldn't hold in my bitter smile as I thought back on my first days at Yale. "In stead I ended up in a dorm room with Lauren, who never ceased to remind me that I was unworthy of even breathing in the same air as her."

"Even though I had Angela to talk to – she was kind of in the same boat as me – and Jessica was semi nice to me as long as I went with everything she said and did and didn't embarrass her in public I couldn't help but feeling so........lost, those first months at university."

"After a while things got better. I found some real friends – Angela being one of them – I really like studying at university, but the damage had been done."

I looked him straight in the eye for the first time since I had started my story.

"I think part of me will always think that I'm somehow breaking every social code in the book by being with you and that I'm dragging you down with me by allowing this to continue. Me, the poor, plain small town girl, dating the beautiful, upper class doctor." I silenced Edward before he could say anything. "I know it's not true. I love you and I know you love me too but that won't stop these feelings from seeping onto the surface every now and then."

"Is there anything I can do to keep them at bay?" He whispered, gently squeezing my hand a little.

"Not much," I chuckled. "Just be there for me and try to understands why I feel the way I feel. I know it's hard. Not even Emmett – or Jacob for that matter – understands me when I'm having one of my little spells and they have been around me for as long as I can remember."

"Bella," Edward said after I had finished. "Know that I will never stop fighting for you. I don't care about what other people say or think. All I care about is what we have together......the three of us. You are the most amazing person I have ever met in my entire life and I don't think there is anything you can't do if you set your mind to it. I will always believe in you, even when you don't believe in yourself."

He lifted my hand to his face and kissed it softly, lovingly, his thumb rubbing soothing circles in the palm of my hand.

"Thank you," I whispered, my tears spilling over the edge. I had shared my feelings with anyone as I had done tonight. Charlie had never been one to talk, Renee – when we had still been each others confidants – wouldn't have understood and Emmett......well, he was Emmett. The only two people who knew to some extend what had gone on in my life where Jacob and Angela and even with them I had never been completely open.

"You're welcome," he said, twining his hand with mine while his eyes kept up their relentless gaze. I knew he was seeing all of it now – even the things I would have rather kept hidden from him – but it didn't scare me anymore. If anything the events of the last few days – weeks if you counted the arrival of my mother – had only served to cement our bond. It is like you have to stare disaster in the face to realize what you have is worth fighting for.

Edward was worth fighting for.

What we had was worth fighting for.

I only hoped the next time something like this would happen again – as it inevitably would – I would remember this and let him in. He deserved as much.

"What is going on in that head of yours?" Edward asked. He looked a little wary. "It kills me to know you're thinking about something and I can't hear what it is."

"I'm just thinking about how I'll never stop fighting for you either so that basically means you're stuck with me," I said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he chuckled, kissing my hand again as our waiter came back in to collect our empty plates and hand us the menus again for our deserts.

"Would you let me pick for you?" Edward asked.

"I don't know Edward," I joked. "I'm not sure if I trust you enough.....I might just end up with some boring old puff pastry instead of glorious chocolaty goodness."

He wasn't fooled in the slightest. "Bella," he said in a mock offended tone, moving his chair over so he was sitting next to me instead of opposite me. "You know I would never subject you to a boring old puff pastry."

He moved his nose along my jaw and nipped at my earlobe while his hand trailed along my leg and inched just under the hemline of my dress. "Just imagine what this little vote of confidence would do for me....for you."

"But....." Even though the implication of his words had me trembling in my seat and happy I was sitting down, the fact that we were currently in some posh eating establishment with – I don't know – around about a hundred people in close proximity to us hadn't escaped my notice.

"What's the use of booking a private room if you don't make full use of it?" he crooned in my ear. "And I'd like to exploit this opportunity to the fullest."

I leaned my head against his while he talked. It was all I could do to keep it upright. The combined force of his words, his voice and his hands, which were still inching up my legs in an almost painfully slow pace, was enough to turn me into a swooning mess.

He inched away from me again when the waiter came in. Every cell in my body felt the loss of his warm skin against mine. The only thing that could keep it from pining too openly was the knowledge that he would soon return to me.

He whispered something to the waiter, being careful to keep whatever he was ordering a secret.

"You know how much I dislike surprises," I said as soon as the waiter had left again.

"You'll like this one," he crooned, letting his nose trail along my jaw bone before kissing me softly.

"How would you know?" I asked, moaning as he lowered his face to my neck and started nipping and sucking at the tender skin at the base of my neck.

"Believe me Bella," he chuckled against my skin, sending vibrations through my body, "I know you. I know just what you like."

His finger ghosted over the exposed skin of my back, sending shivers over my body while he placed butterfly kissed along my jaw and neck.

He practically growled at the waiter, bringing us the desert he had ordered and shot him a murderous look, but after I took one look at what he had placed in front of me – a mouthwatering chocolate soufflé – I couldn't keep my focus on what was going on around me anymore.

"If you need anything......just press the button in the corner and I will be right over," the waiter said, fidgeting about in the door opening.

"Thanks!" Edward mumbled, never taking his attention away from me.

"Well that was rude," I scolded him after the waiter had left. "You nearly gave the poor man a heart attack with all the PDA going on here and now you're all but shooing him away."

"There are certain things that should never be interrupted," he hummed against my skin.

"I beg to differ," I chuckled, breathing in the scent of Edward hair mixed with the flavor of the chocolate.

"What is it with you preferring chocolate over me?" he chuckled, pulling back a little to look into my eyes. "Is it because I'm doing something wrong?"

"You've got to be kidding, right?" I chuckled. "As a doctor you should know that's it's actually clinically proven that women prefer chocolate over sex. So there's nothing you can do about it. It's in the genes!" I said, reaching for my spoon.

"What's your take on combining the two of them?" he purred, enveloping my hand before I could stick the spoon in the little tower of chocolaty delight waiting on the table.

"What?" I was afraid my mouth was hanging a little open. I didn't know if it was from shock or excitement.

"As I said before," he said, sneaking his hand up my thigh again, "I intend to use the benefit of private dining to the fullest.

He stuck the desert spoon into the soufflé and a gush of liquid chocolate came pooling out of it. The added effect of Edward hand other hand continuing it's path up my thighs had me shivering in anticipation .

"Be a good girl and open up for me," Edward whispered in my ear, his hand sneaking up to the apex of my legs.

I looked back at him, trying to figure out which part of me he wanted to open up. I couldn't read anything in his eyes though – except for the lust – so I decided to go with both, parting my legs slightly while opening my mouth.

It appeared he had meant both as well because the moment the spoon reached my mouth and I started to lap up the deliciously gooey chocolate desert his fingers reached my folds, parting them before he eased two of his long slender fingers inside of me, his thumb reaching for my bundle of nerves.

I let my head sag against the high back of the chair, fighting to suppress my moans as Edwards lips found their way back to the space between my neck and my shoulder again. The combination of the liquid chocolate gliding down my throat, the crunchy parts slowly melting in my mouth and Edwards mouth sucking and licking my overheated skin while his fingers slowly moved in and out of me was almost too much to bear.

By the fifth bite of my soufflé I was beyond caring if anyone could hear me and I let out a high shriek as Edward slightly bit down on the skin of my neck.

"Quiet love," he chuckled. "We don't want the host to come in and interrupt us do we?"

I made a slight incline with my head, conveying that I was in total agreeable with him. It was all I could manage as I felt the pressure building up in my abdomen.

"Are you ready for another mouth full?" Edward chuckled, holding the spoon in front of my lips.

I nodded, enveloping the spoon with my lips before pulling the content into my mouth as suggestively as I could. I could perceive I was doing a good job by the way his breathing hitched an his thumb added just a little more pressure to my clit.

"God Bella," he groaned. "you'll be the death of me someday!" before crashing his lips to mine. It was all I needed to send me over the edge, my frantic moans stifled by his kisses.

"Edward!" I panted, resting my head against his shoulder as I tried to regain some of my composure. I desperately needed it if I wanted to leave this place standing upright and I was desperate to leave right now. I just wanted to go home, tear Edwards clothes off his body and devour him.

He pulled his hand out from in between my legs, licking his fingers before taking a bite of the soufflé. "You were right," he said. "It is delicious. But the taste has nothing on you."

Once again he rendered me speechless and fiery red.

"Thanks?" I finally managed. What was the appropriate thing to say on such an occasion?

"Did you have enough?" Edward asked, taking my face in his hands.

"If you mean that I've had enough to eat, then yes," I said. "If however you mean of I have had enough of you, then no. I don't think I could ever get enough of you."

"Why don't we go home and find out?" he chuckled, kissing me lightly.

"My thoughts exactly," I giggled.

Edward quickly settled the bill and left the building with a speed that nearly had me running after him to keep up.

"Where's the fire?" I panted, as I buckled up in the passenger seat of the Aston Martin.

"Really Bella?" he smirked at me, before pulling out of the parking space at full speed.

For once I was glad about his total disregard for speed limits. Between our previous actions and the smoldering glances Edward kept shooting at me whenever he didn't have to keep his eyes on the road, the thought we would be home soon was all that could keep me from jumping him in front of a red traffic light. I knew our fellow road users wouldn't be best pleased if we held up traffic like that.

Before I knew it we had gotten to our street, Edward had parked the car in front of our house and he opened the door with a fierce movement that almost tore it out of it's hinges.

"Edward? What?" I stammered as he lifted me out of my seat and almost ran the two of us to the door, cradling me to his chest.

"I need you Bella," He said, fumbling with the lock. "I need us. Naked. On the bed. Very soon. Or I'll go insane."

I opened my mouth to say something – though I didn't have the faintest clue to what I was going to say – but before I could make a sound Edward threw the door open, pushed me inside and against the wall and crashed his lips to mine.

I moaned as he ground his hips against me, kicking the door shut with one of his feet. He almost made me forget the plan I had made on our way here.

Almost.

I gently pushed him away, grinning at the look of utter confusion on his face as I maneuvered him so that he was sitting on the bottom steps of the stairs.

"Just returning the favor," I stated before reaching to unbuckle his belt and release his already prominent erection from it's restraints.

I wasted no time taking him into my mouth, relishing in the salty sweetness of his taste.

"God Bella," Edward groaned, slumping backwards against the stairs as I swirled my tongue around his length, massaging his balls with one of my hands.

I could feel he wasn't going to last long. The searing sexual tension of the night having taken as much out of his self control as it had taken out of mine.

As I bobbed my head up and down his shaft his hips started bucking slightly against me, moving along with my movements.

"Fuck," he panted, his fingers twisting into my hair. "I'm........so.......close. Don't....stop."

"Hmmm," I hummed against him. The vibrations sending him over the edge chanting my name as if it were some sacred kind of mantra.

I greedily sucked him clean before zipping his pants back up and buckling his belt again making it look as if nothing had happened.

I was hardly even done when Edward grabbed my chin and yanked me up. I lost my balance and fell against him, yelping in surprise. His arms formed a protective cage around me, breaking my fall and crashing me against his chest all in one.

His lips found mine immediately, our tongues twining together again, caressing each other as Edward let his body slump back again, taking me with him. I knew he must have been uncomfortable with his back against the steps of the staircase but he never showed it.

"Edward....." I gasped, not being able to let myself get carried away if I knew Edward might be uncomfortable.

"Bedroom. Now," he growled in between kisses.

"Yes," I panted.

We stumbled up the stairs, neither of us wanting to let go of the others lips which made our progress rather awkward considering the difference in height between the two of us.

Finally Edward let out a frustrated growl, lifted me up by my rear and carried me up the stairs.

"Much better," he purred before claiming my lips again.

He gently placed me on the bed, hovering over me with his knees on either side of my hips as he kept on kissing me. The fierceness and overpowering urgency in his kiss bating a little bit though. I bucked up my hips, grinding them into his to stir him on, my effort only met with a chuckle as he pulled back.

"No Isabella," he purred. "I intend to take my time with you tonight."

"But I need you...." I whined. I swear if the man didn't make a move soon I was going to combust.

"Patience is a virtue," he sang, rolling me over so he could reach the zipper at the back of my dress.

"So is abstaining until marriage," I grumbled, "but I don't see you eager to follow that rule!"

"Believe me my angel," he whispered in my ear. "Your patience will be rewarded." Our bodies were flush against each other now with him lying on top of me, supporting his weight with his arms and knees. "I'm going to make love to you until there are starts dancing in front of your eyes and you will scream my name so loudly you won't be able to manage anything above a whisper tomorrow."

He leaned back, supporting his body with one arm as the other pulled the zipper of my dress down, while his mouth left a trail of wet kisses along my spine.

I rolled over, locking my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. "Make me," I hummed against his lips.

"My pleasure," he chuckled, before taking my bottom lip in between his teeth and sucking on it while his hands brushed over my shoulders, easing my dress down as they traveled over my arms.

"You're so beautiful," he said as he worked my dress down to my waist.

I still didn't believe him. I mean, you just had to look at me to see it I wasn't beautiful. Still, when he said it I could almost believe it. The way he looked at me when we made love – or even when we were sitting together in the living room watching the news – or the way he touched me. Gently, reverently almost. It unlocked all sorts of hitherto unknown feelings in me. It made me feel special.

Wanted.

Beautiful.

When I was with him I could almost forget the past. The condescending looks of the kids at school. The condescending looks from the people at university. The difficult relationship with my mother.....

"So beautiful," Edward repeated, unveiling me in nothing but my underwear as he finished removing the dress and threw it to the side. "But still you don't see it."

I tried to say something but he silenced me before I could open my mouth.

"I see it in your eyes, every time I tell you," he said, shaking his head slightly. "You don't believe me. You believe those idiots you met when you were younger."

He caressed my skin from my ankled to my collarbone. His hands moving slowly, reverently over my body. "They never saw you clearly," he said, his eyes boring into mine, "just as you don't see yourself clearly."

"And you do?" I asked sarcastically.

"Let me start describing to you what I see, every time I look at you," he said, ignoring my snide remark, waiting for my approval.

I nodded faintly.

"I see the most beautiful large dark chocolate eyes the world has ever seen," he started, looking into my eyes. "They hold everything spellbound with there gaze and if they fix on you it is as if they can look straight into your soul."

I giggled. That was exactly the same way his stared always made me feel.

"I see a head of sumptuous rich brown hair with hints of red in it when the sunlight falls on it in a certain way. The thick tressed dancing around your head as you walk.....though I prefer it as it is now, sprawled out across the pillow."

There was something about his voice that send every cell in my body into a tingling state of excitement. It was as if he was calling out to it, commanding it, bending it to his will. If any other person would have spoken to me like that I would have busted out laughing. The way he said it though made me believe him......

"I see a body," he let his hands drift over my exposed skin, "that is every inch perfection. The skin smoother than silk, tasting sweeter than ambrosia and smelling like freshly picked flowers."

"And your breasts......." he said, unclasping my bra and tossing it to the side. "I find that they are best worshiped with actions in stead of words."

He brought his mouth to my chest, reverently kissing each of my mounds before taking one of my nipples into his mouth and twirling his tongue around it, his hand lavishing attention on my other breast.

"Edward," I moaned, arching my back into him.

"Yes, my love?" he asked, looking up at me.

"I want you closer," I said, rolling us over and straddling us. "I need you closer."

His words had unleashed a fire in my body that made it almost painful to have any distance between us. To not have him inside me. I wanted to shed the remaining barriers between us and found myself unable to with him still being fully clothed.

I unbuttoned his shirt, adding it to the growing pile of clothes next to the bed before unblinking him for the second time that night and pulling his pants and his boxers down together while he divested himself of his shoes.

"Better?" he asked, flashing his crooked grin.

"Much better," I grinned, letting my eyes trail over his body. "You know, you're not so bad looking yourself either."

"Really?" he grinned.

"Come on!" I scolded, straddling him. "You know you're gorgeous."

"If you say so!" he said, closing his eyes as I started to trace the muscles in his chest with my tongue.

"And tasty....." I added, sucking and nipping at his skin.

"Bella," he grunted, letting his voice trail of on the last syllable.

"Yes, my love?" I asked, mimicking his earlier expression.

"Stop teasing me," he growled, flipping us over again.

He ripped my panties from my body, letting his eyes trail over my now completely nude form. The intensity of his stare adding more force to the fire raging in my body..

"Please," I begged.

He eagerly granted my request, pushing into me slowly, both of us groaning at the feeling of completion. He moved in and out tortuously slow, kissing every part of me he could reach.

"Edward," I moaned, his movements leaving me on the brink of insanity.

"What is it my angel?" he panted, kissing me passionately on the lips.

"Faster.....oh please......more," I begged as he started thrusting into me deeper and faster than before. It send me flying towards the peak.

"Come for me Bella," Edward growled, reaching between us to flick his finger over my aching bundle of nerves. I knew he was close as well by the way his muscles started to tense. "I want to feel you clench around me as I bury myself deep inside you."

"Edward," I screamed out as my back arched into his, my whole body shuddering with the force of my climax.

"That's it Bella," he panted, never stopping his thrusts. "That's it my love."

I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him even closer to me as he neared his own release. He let out a throaty moan as he filled me, collapsing on top of me utterly spent.

I held him close as we both came down from our high, not wanting to let him go. Ever.

He rolled us over, wrapping his arms around me and pulling the blankets up around us.

"I love you," he said, kissing the top of my head.

"I love you too," I whispered, looking up at him. I traced the features of his face lightly with my hands, brushing a few strands of hair away. "More than my own life."

_**So, that was the first time I added food to a lemon. Did I do a good job? **_

_**As said above....The restaurant really exists. It offers private dining and chocolate soufflé's. If they offered complementary Edwards I'd be on a plane to New York tonight......**_

_**The bit about how growing up in Forks was for Bella was kind of taken from real life. I grew up in a small rural town and let's just say I don't look back on it with happy thoughts. If you didn't conform to the general concept of normalcy (which was exactly as I described it in this chapter) you pretty much ranked amongst the outcasts (which I did). I know not every small town or village is like this (I hope I didn't offend any village-enthusiast reading this story) but for me it was. And it screwed with my brain.**_

_**The next chapter will have Libby meeting Renee (that should be interesting right?)**_

_**Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. Reviews make my day.**_

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	26. Daddy's little girl

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**This one is for everyone who thought Renee was getting off the hook to easily. A really big thank you to DefinatelyStaying for suggesting this!**_

**Daddy's little girl.**

In looked around me, letting out a humorless chuckle at the sight of eight exhausted residents sagging in the uncomfortable chairs of the surgical waiting room. I had been on my feat for the best part of twenty four hours.

Twenty four hectic hours.

About an hour after my shift had started dispatch had come in announcing a subway train had collided with an individual and derailed, injuring most of the travelers in the train as well as some on the platform of the subway station where it had happened. Since we were the hospital closest to the crash site most of the injured would be brought over to us.

Everybody had immediately been kicked into gear. The emergency plan had been pulled out of some dusty filing cabinet and everybody had been assigned to a station. Most of us were teamed up with an attending and assigned to an OR. Garrett and I however, had been assigned to the ER which meant we were in for a hectic couple of hours. Since it concerned a train wreck we had been anticipating a lot of horrible lacerations and severed limbs, requiring surgical attention.

Unfortunately we hadn't been mistaken.

The things I had seen during the last few hours almost made me consider a chance of profession. I had seen a lot of revolting things since I had started working here but I hoped I would never again have to see the heartbreaking image of a dying mother refusing to let go of the lifeless body of her little girl.

It had been the first time I had choked during a procedure. I just stood there, knowing I had to do something – anything – to take away some of her pain or help her through all of this but I couldn't. The paramedics who had brought her in had tries to persuade her to let go of the child so that they could treat her but she wouldn't. She just kept clinging to the little girl while staring in front of her with empty eyes that slowly faded as her life left her. It left me powerless, speechless and incapacitated. All I could think about was the tragedy of the waste of lives and my relief that it was just some unknown woman and child and not Bella and Libby.

I had felt awful for even thinking that. What was wrong with me? This woman was dying after she had just gone through the most horrible thing that could ever happen to a parent and all that I could think about was how happy I was that this wasn't happening to me?

Luckily Garrett had stepped in before I made a complete fool out of myself.

--

FLASHBACK

--

"Take a break Edward," he said, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Take a breather, call Bella."

"I can't just leave you here all by yourself!" I replied. I would just have to man up and get through this.

"I've got everything covered," He stated calmly. "We're past the worst of it, only mild trauma and the walking wounded to deal with after this."

"Thanks!" I sighed relieved. I really needed to take a step back and get some perspective or I would be sucked too far into the drama unfolding around me and that was never a good thing to happen to a surgeon. You needed to be cool and collected, walking the fine line between being concerned for your patients welfare but keeping your professional distance from them at the same time.

I stepped outside, taking a few breaths of fresh December air while pulling my mobile phone from the pocket of my blood- and sweat stained scrubs. I had lost my lab coat somewhere earlier during the day. I think I gave it to someone whose clothes had been destroyed in the accident but I couldn't quite remember who it had been.

I glanced through the sliding doors to the clock above the ER admittance desk. It was only eight in the evening, not too late to call Bella.

"Hi honey!" She panted, picking up only after the fifth ring.

"You okay?"

"I was just giving Libby her bath. I had to run to the phone after I dried my hands," she explained. "What about you? Are you okay?"

I sighed, quickly pondering telling her about my day. I decided not to in the end. There was no reason to burden her with the atrocious things I had seen. I didn't want to upset her. "I'm fine. I just really wanted to hear your voice."

"What happened Edward?" she said, sounding worried. She knew me too well. "Does it have anything to do with the subway disaster?"

"Yes," I admitted, there was no use to deny it now. "We got most of the victims here."

"It must have been horrible," she said after a short silence. "From what I saw on the news there would have been many casualties."

I couldn't hold back any more and proceeded to tell her everything that had happened in the last eight hours, including the part where I choked.

"I just really needed to hear your voice. To assure for myself that you were alright," I finished.

"That's okay honey," she said, her voice thick with the tears that I could almost see running down her face. "I'm glad you called me. Just wait, I'll get Libby on the phone for you."

I heard her moving around, opening a door and then the sound of water splashing around sounded in the distance.

"Daddy!" Libby squealed through the phone.

"Hi sweetie!" I chuckled.

"Aren't you busy saving lives?" she asked.

"I have been," I replied. "I'm taking a little break right now."

"But what happens to the sick people when you're taking your break?" Libby sounded perplexed. I imagined her seeing a line of injured people patiently waiting by my table while I finished eating.

"The other doctors take care of them," I explained. "they won't even notice I'm gone."

"I bet they do daddy," Libby stated. "I'm sure the other doctors aren't as nice as you are!"

"They are much nicer!" I chuckled. "Anyway, how was your day?"

"It was so cool!" she squealed. "we had art class today and teacher took us outside to the park and made us collect all kinds of things for our winter table!"

Libby had been full of the assignment. The whole class would be working together this week to turn a big table in the corner of the class into a vision of Winter Wonderland. Libby and Felicity had been appointed to oversee the decorating, a job Libby had taken dead serious.

"Would you believe that idiot Danny actually brought in a frozen turd!" she yelled, her voice conveying her horror. "He didn't even notice it was dog poo until I told him!"

"It's not very nice to call someone an idiot," I scolded her, trying to hold back my laughter.

"Not even when he clearly is one?" she asked and I could almost hear her pull up one eyebrow through the phone.

"Not even then," I chuckled.

"Mommy wants to speak to you again." My heart made a little leap when I noticed the disappointment in her voice.

"Okay, then enjoy the rest of your bath and sleep tight my little angel," I said. "I love you."

"Love ya daddy!" she cooed through the phone. "Good luck on helping the sick people."

"Edward?" Bella's voice sounded.

"Yes my love?"

"Do you want to cancel the thing with my mother tomorrow?" she asked. "I can imagine you won't be getting that much sleep tonight so I understand if you want to reschedule."

I groaned. I had totally forgotten that Renee was coming over to meet Libby tomorrow afternoon.

"No, keep the meeting," I sighed. "It would be difficult to reschedule it again and we really have to get through with it before the wedding."

"Are you sure?"

"I am," I said, trying to make my voice a little more vigorous. "I'll try to get some sleep before she arrives."

"Okay," she said. "If you're really sure...."

"I have to get back to my patients," I said, noticing Garrett waving frantically at me from the doorway. "Goodnight love, sleep well."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come over?" she asked, her concern still apparent in her voice. "I could ask Alice to watch Libby for a while?"

"As much as I would love to have you by my side, I will be too busy to give you the attention you deserve," I sighed. She had no idea of how much I wanted to touch her. I needed her to get a clear perspective. However, Caius would never let me live it down if he ever found out. "I'll just see you tomorrow."

"Okay," she sighed. "I love you Edward, take care of yourself."

"I will, and I love you too." With that I reluctantly ended our conversation.

"Are you finally done being all lovey dovey?" Garrett grinned as I walked back into the hospital. "The bloodhound has been asking for us upstairs."

"What happened to the woman? I asked, already knowing the answer.

"She died, about five minutes ago," Garrett sighed. "I hope I never in my life have to see something like that again."

"That makes two of us," I said, my voice constricting with the things I felt. I mean, I knew she was going to die. There had been nothing we could do for her, it was just that it was such a waste, such an unnecessary loss of life.

We took a few minutes to pay our respects, the nurses already cleaning the mother and child up so that they could be transferred to the morgue.

"Did somebody contact the next of kin?" I asked.

The nurse nodded. "The husband was at some kind of conference in San Diego. He's flying in tonight."

"Come on Edward," Garrett said, pulling em out of the room. "There's nothing more we can do for them. Let's just go upstairs and see what Caius wants."

Caius cornered us soon as we walked out of the elevator. "Ah! If it isn't the butcher squad, returned victoriously from a hard day of massacring patients in the ER! So glad you could join us!"

"What do you want?" Garrett growled.

"Just to give you these," Caius grinned, producing two large stacks of charts he had kept hidden behind his back. "Your new patients. Good luck!" With that he dashed off again, grinning as he left.

"Can I strangle him or would you rather have the honor?" Garrett snarled as soon as he was out of earshot.

"You do it," I replied. "I'm to tired and hungry to be doing any physical labor."

It wasn't until the adrenaline had died down that I noticed how hungry I was. I had been working non stop for hours, not caring about what happened around me or how I felt. Now that I had had a few minutes to calm down again the more mundane aspects of everyday life started to creep back into my mind.

Just then the savory smell of grilled cheese hit our nose. Following the smell we ended up at the nurses station where most of the medical staff was huddles around a huge pile of pizza's.

I quickly dove In, grabbing the first slice I could reach.

"Am I the only one, or does this taste like the food of the Gods right now?" I sighed as the cheesy goodness of the pizza hit my pallet.

"Yeah," Charlotte said, grabbing another slice of pizza. "And all of that courtesy of your wife!"

"You mean my girlfriend?" I chuckled. "Bella isn't my wife." _'Yet,'_ I added in my mind.

Charlotte was one of the OR-nurses and a very good one at that. In the short time she had been working here she had made herself virtually unmissable. She had also managed to fall head over heals in love with Peter Benton, my fellow resident.

"Seriously Eddie," Garrett mumbled, his mouth filled with a large slice of pepperoni pizza. "If you don't ask her sometime soon, I will."

"Hey!" Kate yelled, slapping him upside the head. "I'm sitting right next to you!"

Garrett almost choked on his slice, waving Kate away with a horrified look on his face as she was gearing up to perform the Heimlich maneuver on him.

"I'm" cough. "Fine" he wheezed, his face turning almost blue.

"Let me get that," Peter chuckled, giving Garrett no time to consider the proposition before he had his knee in Garret's back.

"Thanks mate!" Garrett panted as the offending bit of pizza left his windpipe.

"Don't mention it!" Peter chuckled. "It's not like you deserved to get your ass saved anyway. The only reason I did it because I swore that damn Hippocratic oath."

I pulled out my phone and quickly typed a message to Bella.

B.

I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.

E.

I grabbed one of my new charts, swallowing the last bit of pizza as I checked over the information. It was one of the crash victims. I remembered taking care of her downstairs. She had been lucky. She had some nasty cuts and my colleagues had to repair some internal bleeding, but in time she would make a full recovery. Many hadn't been as fortunate.

I was just done scanning the chart when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. A message from Bella.

E.

I take it you like the pizza?

B.

I quickly typed my reply before I switched off the phone to check on some of my patients. I didn't want the carrier waves of my phone to disrupt any of the medical equipment.

B.

It tastes like heaven, though it's nothing compared to the taste of you. Love you. Goodnight

E.

As soon as I finished checking on all my patients I switched it on again, revealing another message from my beloved.

E.

I just figured you might be hungry. Love you more.

B.

I chuckled, putting my phone away again. There was no way she could love me more.

I looked at the board, surveying my chance of being able to scrub into some interesting surgery. Deep down inside I was exhausted, but I knew that as soon as I would step into an operating room the adrenaline would cancel out any fatigue. It was just the thing I needed to keep me going.

--

END OF FLASHBACK

--

So here we were, the lot of us, scattered across the waiting room, dead to the world. Most of the attendings, residents and even some of the medical students had stayed at the hospital after their shift ended yesterday. There certainly had been plenty enough work to keep all of them busy throughout the night.

I guess I was lucky, I was one of the very few doctors who had been scheduled to take the graveyard shift yesterday, meaning I would be able to leave this place in under an hour.

Some patients had needed additional surgery, some had injuries that hadn't presented before and needed to be fixed. Either way, the operating rooms had never been empty since the first crash victim had been taken up.

"Go, Edward," Kate sighed, noticing my drooping eyelids. "Your shift will be over by the time you get changed and grabbed your stuff anyway."

"Thanks!" I yawned, getting up from my uncomfortable resting place.

"Drive carefully and give my love to Bella," she mumbled, closing her eyes again.

Somehow I made it back to the house, empty because Bella was still at school and Libby at kindergarten.

I quickly hung up my coat and made my way upstairs. Diving straight into bed without even bothering to take off my clothes. The last thing I noticed before I drifted off into a come-like state was the fact that the blinds had already been pulled and the bed had been turned.

God I love Bella!

--

It was the first thing I thought about the moment I awoke, the second being how delicious the smell of freshly baked cake was, coming from downstairs.

I quickly showered, got dressed and rushed down the stairs, arriving in the midst of a discussion between Bella and Libby.

"I don't want to meet her, mommy," Libby whined. "She's mean."

"How can you know that?" Bella tried to persuade her. "You only met her once and she was never mean to you."

"She made you sad," Libby persisted. "That makes her a mean person."

I had to fight the urge not to nod, though I couldn't agree with my clever daughter more.

"She's not a bad person honey," Bella sighed, her sad expression evaporating all my mirth. "She just didn't understand some things that happened in the past."

"Like what?" Libby huffed.

"It's complicated," Bella said. "She thought I was making big mistakes in my life, I thought I wasn't....................we fought.............and then we were both too stubborn to admit we were wrong."

I had to bite back a growl at Bella's explanation of things. It was one thing if she wanted to forgive her mother for what she had done and try to rebuild something of their past relationship, it was another thing altogether to deny the things that happened. Renee didn't deserve that.

"Bella....." I said, shaking my head.

She looked up and caught my gaze, returning it with a determined look of her own.

"So, you're awake," she said, her look fading into a smile as I walked over and kissed her.

Libby had caught the look that passed between us and I hoped she interpreted it the way it was supposed to be interpreted. I would never go behind Bella's back to stir Libby up against Renee, but I would be damned if I contributed to this charade.

"Just give her a chance," Bella begged, looking from Libby to me. "Please? Let her try to make amends."

"Okay," Libby said reluctantly. "But I can't promise you I'll like her."

That's my girl!

"I'll just have to settle for that then," Bella laughed, but I could see it was only a half hearted attempt. The whole Renee issue was taking so much out of her. I couldn't wait to see her mother boarding her plane back home after Emmett's wedding.

I made a move to comfort her but she held me back. "I'll just get the coffee things ready," Bella said. She had made such a big event out of having Renee over for coffee, even running home to bake a cake after she had taught her classes of the day. "Will you and Libby check and see if the living room is looking presentable?"

"Sure," I said, kissing her lightly on the cheek. I sensed that Bella needed a moment alone to prepare herself for the impending visit. I guess she realized that it wasn't going to be smooth and pleasant, not with at least two of the people present were gearing up to put up a fight.

"Come Libs," I said, hoisting her up on my shoulders. "Let's see what damage has been caused to the living room."

I ran through the foyer and into the living room with Libby squealing on my neck.

"Be careful of the door frames!" Bella yelled after us making all three of us convulse in giggles.

It had been one of those story's typical of Bella's accident prone nature. I mean, what's the chance of both your uncle and you not seeing the door frame up ahead, bumping into it, dropping from his shoulders to the floor and ending up in hospital with a severe concussion and a fractured wrist?

When Bella had told me the story – it had been right after the first time I had ran around the house with Libby on my shoulders and had been confused because Bella had been totally stressed about it – I had to hold onto something in a desperate attempt not to role over the floor laughing. I could just see it right in front of me and – painful as it must have been – it seemed like something out of a bad slapstick movie.

I took extra care to drop to my knees when we passed under a door frame all the same. I couldn't imagine myself forgetting to watch out for Libby's head but it was better to be safe than sorry.

The 'damage' to the living room was restricted to a few books scattered across the coffee table and some toys on the floor. It would only take us a minute to sort everything out.

"You take care of the toys and I clean up the table?" I suggested, setting Libby down on the floor again.

"Okay daddy," she sang, picking up her toys from the floor and chucking them into her toy chest from across the room.

"Do I really have to meet her daddy?"Libby asked in a tiny voice as soon as all, her toys had been stashed away.

Shit! Sometimes being a father was harder than anything I had done in my life. I really wanted to say no and take her out to the park while Renee and Bella sorted everything out amongst themselves, but I knew I couldn't. Not just because Libby had to meet her grandmother before the the wedding, but because I knew she had to go through this. She needed to learn that she couldn't pout her way out of every difficult or unpleasant situation, not even if I really wanted her to.

"Yes you have honey," I said, pulling her to sit with me on the couch.

"But I don't like her!" Libby whined. She actually had a point there.

"Now Libby," I said, trying to imitate Bella's 'strict' voice. "How much of that is because of what you've heard and how much of that is because of what you've actually experienced?"

"Well......." I could see she was trying to find a way out of this.

"It's just like with Brussels sprouts. Everyone always says they're gross, leading you to believe they taste absolutely revolting. That is: until you've tried them and find out that – provided they are prepared properly – they actually taste rather yummy."

I was rather proud of my explanation until I saw Libby's mocking expression. She had her eyebrows pulled up in true 'you've got to be kidding me' style and her mouth was pulled into a grin I must have seen a million times before on Alice.

"Good God Edward!" I could hear Bella hiccup behind me. When did she come in? "Are you comparing my mother to a vegetable?"

"It seemed like a good comparison," I defended. I could feel my cheeks redden. Damn!

"And what did you mean by 'prepared properly'?" she giggled.

"Well....."I said, trying to think of a way out of this. "I meant to say that if you just sit down and talk to Renee without going into full attack mode she can be rather pleasant."

"Praise indeed!" she chuckled.

"You shouldn't hate Renee just because you've heard some things about her from Emmett or Rose or me," I explained, turning to Libby again. " You should at least meet her and give her a fair chance before you judge her."

"Clever," Bella grinned. "And here's me thinking you wanted to cook my mom for dinner!"

She put a plate of cake and cookies on the table, giving us a menacing look before telling us that whoever snatched a cookie of the plate before Renee arrived would be in serious trouble.

Of course we both cheated and pinched a small cookie from the bottom of the plate (where nobody would notice it) after Bella had left.

"I liked your explanation," Libby said, munching on her cookie. "I thought it was actually rather cool."

"Thanks sweetie!" I replied, hugging her to my chest as we fell into silence.

"Will you stay with me daddy?" Libby asked, breaking the silence. "I mean when she's here?"

"Of course I will honey," I said, hugging her. "I won't leave your side for a second."

"Good!" she said.

As the time of Renee's visit drew near I had to remind myself of the reason why I had went along with all of this in the first place. Meeting Renee was never a pleasure and having to expose my child to her would make it even less of an event to look forward to.

It wasn't that Renee had been misbehaving in any way. In fact she had been acting very pleasantly. It was just that I – and everybody else for that matter – knew what she was capable of. It caused the atmosphere in the room to tense the minute she set foot in it and everybody – including Renee herself – to be walking on eggshells.

The only good thing about this meeting was that it was taking place late afternoon on a weekday, meaning that it wouldn't be a very long visit since we had to eat and Libby had school tomorrow.

"I'll get it!" Bella yelled from the kitchen, almost the moment the doorbell rang.

I could hear her open the door and let Renee in. I took in a huge breath, bracing myself for what was coming next and I could hear Libby doing the same thing beside me on the couch.

"How about we go get this over with?" I asked, standing up from the couch and reaching out my hand for Libby.

"Yes," Libby replied, her voice strong with determination as she shot me a knowing look. We both laughed conspiratorially as we got ready to greet our guest.

"Ah! Edward, Libby, there you are," Bella said, as I opened the door to the foyer. She and Renee walked in and the moment Renee set foot in the room it was like it was getting just a little harder to breathe.

"Mom, Libby, you've met each other," Bella said, straining to keep her voice from trembling. I move to stand beside her, warping one arm around her waist, offering silent support, while I held Libby's hand with the other.

"It's so nice to meet you again," Renee greeted Libby, reaching her hand out for Libby to take.

Hmm," Libby replied, hesitantly taking Renee's hand.

"Libby," Bella said. "Shouldn't you greet your grandmother in a way that's a little more....polite?"

"You made my mommy cry," Libby stated, scrutinizing the woman in front of her.

"Libby!" Bella scolded.

"It's true mommy," Libby defended. "She did make you cry."

"And for that I'm sorry," Renee said, looking every bit as uncomfortable as she should be. "I was trying to make things up with your mommy but ended up making things worse. It was stupid and I'm very sorry for that."

"Hmm," Libby hummed, scrunching her eyes into tiny slits. She looked like a prosecutor for the Spanish Inquisition.

"Why are you here now?" Libby was on a roll today.

"I came to see my son get married, and to meet Bella and my two adorable grandchildren," Renee replied. Her voice sounded hesitant.

I grinned. I bet the woman didn't reckon to be met with such opposition. Good! The harder she would have to work for a place in our lives the better.

"If you wanted to see us, you could have come sooner," Libby stated, rolling her eyes.

"I was afraid," Renee sighed, hanging her head.

"Afraid?" Libby demanded.

"I knew I had made a big mistake before and I was afraid of what your mom and uncle Emmett were going to say," Renee explained teary eyed. "I half expected your mom and Emmett to chase me away. I guess I deserved that too."

"Mom," Bella interrupted.

"No Bella, let me speak," Renee said and I had to admit I liked her a little better for that. "Libby deserves to have her questions answered."

"I'll just get the coffee," Bella said, letting out a huge whoosh of breath before walking into the kitchen.

I felt like I was being torn in two. I knew Bella was taking this very hard. She wanted everyone to get along. The fact that Libby and I weren't as ready to forgive her mom as she had been must be tearing her in two.

I wanted nothing more than to walk after her and comfort her but I didn't want to leave Libby alone in the room with Renee. Not just because I promised Libby to stay by her but also because I didn't trust Renee.

Sure, she may have been on her best behavior so far – and during the few times we had met before – but I still couldn't shake the feeling she was nothing but a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any minute.

"So Libby," Renee tried. "I hear you're quite the artist?"

"Yes, I like to draw," Libby confirmed.

"Do you know that your mom once drew pictures from _Beauty & the Beast _all over the walls in her room?" Renee asked.

"She did?" Libby's eyes grew huge, her curiosity momentarily outweighing her apprehension and dislike.

"Yes," Renee said enthusiastically, probably relieved she'd finally hit home. "I had taken her to see _Beauty & the Beast _in Port Angeles – a town nearby – and when she got home she was still so wrapped up in the movie she wasn't ready ton let the characters go yet so she started drawing them."

Bella came into the living room carrying a tray filled with steaming mugs of coffee and a glass of juice for Libby.

"Oh, no!" she yelled mortified. "You're not telling her that story!"

I moved quickly to help her since she nearly dropped the tray and I didn't want anyone to get covered in scalding hot coffee.

"Shush!" Renee scolded. "It's a good story!"

"Mom!" she scolded, her face beet red as I sat her down on my lap next to Libby who was now perched on the edge of her seat.

"We had only just papered her bedroom walls that same summer. Twice since she refused to sleep in a pink bedroom," Renee continued, ignoring Bella's pleas.

"Why?" Libby asked. She had been only too happy to have her whole bedroom fitted out in girly colors. Somehow Bella had never struck me as the kind of girl who had liked that sort of thing.

"I didn't like pink," Bella explained to a seemingly shocked Libby.

"Didn't like?" Renee snorted. "You hated it! I thought it would be nice for your mom to have a girly bedroom – she had been acting more like a boy every day - so I picked out this cute light pink wallpaper with tiny white dots sprinkled all over it....." Renee and Libby both gushed at the thought.

"You should have heard Charlie – your granddad – when he was papering the room. I had never heard him use as much curse words in a sentence in my life!"

I nodded. I remembered Carlisle being in a similar situation once when he had volunteered to paper the hallway, claiming it would be a waste of money to call in the decorator for such a tiny space. Three days, two ruined rolls of expensive wallpaper and a whole array of new words to add to my vocabulary later, he finally yielded and let Esme call in her usual decorator, who had been done with the whole room in under an hour.

"So you can imagine his shock and mine when – after all the work – Bella hated what we had done to her room. When we revealed our work, all proud of what we had accomplished, she actually started to cry

"She did?" Libby asked incredulously.

"Yup," Renee giggled. "She said she refused to even set foot in the room as long as it was painted in that horrible color."

"What did you do?" Libby asked. "Did you paint it?"

"Not straight away," Renee said. "We thought that if we got her some time to get used to it she would grow to like it."

"And did she?"

"Nope," Bella smiled. "My dad finally caved after three sleepless nights with me sleeping in their bed since I still refused to sleep in my own room."

"So you can imagine Charlie's face when he saw what Bella had done to his pristine white walls!" Renee chuckled.

"She actually drew the characters from the movie on her walls?" I sure hoped Libby wasn't getting any ideas from this.

Both Bella and Renee nodded, Bella's face taking on a fiery red tone.

"What did you draw mommy?" Libby questioned.

"I did Belle – of course, since she had almost the same name as me – the beast and that candlestick thing who's name I can't remember right now. I would have done that teapot thing as well if mom didn't come barging in and snatched my pencils from my fingers."

"Here I was," Renee added, gesticulating wildly, "thinking my daughter was upstairs, quietly playing with her toys when all the time she was acting like a hooligan!"

"What happened?" Libby demanded.

"I had to spend five years in a bedroom covered in horribly misshapen drawings!" Bella laughed. "My dad only gave in and painted over it when I was going to junior high and then only because he knew I was never going to invite friends to come over if he didn't."

"Why not?"

"I wasn't a very good artist sweetie," Bella admitted. "My drawings looked kind of odd."

"Odd?" Renee hiccuped. "It looked like you had tried to draw the Loch Ness monster on your walls! And I'm talking about your drawing of Belle here!"

"Yeah, yeah," Bella sighed, rolling her eyes. "It's not as if you never did something embarrassing!"

The ice had been broken after that and conversation flowed much more freely, though I could feel Libby still hadn't let go of her apprehension towards Renee. She kept clinging to Bella and me and never answered in three words when two would suffice except when what was being said really interested her like with Bella's venture into art.

"So, I guess I should be going," Renee stated after about an hour and a half. I couldn't help a little relieved sigh from leaving my chest.

"So soon?" Bella asked. I loved her, with heart, soul and everything I had in me, but did she have to say that?

"Yes," Renee said, much to my relief. "I promised Phil I'd call him before his game and I'm cutting it close as it is already."

"When is he flying in?" Bella asked.

"The day before the wedding," Renee replied. "He couldn't get any more time off. I really miss him."

"I'm happy you found someone," Bella sighed. I could hear by the tone of her voice she was thinking of her father and the difficult marriage her parents had. "Give him my best. I'm so looking forward to meeting him!"

"You'll like him," Renee said, giving Bella a goodbye hug. "Everybody does."

I was kind of looking forward to meeting Phil myself as well. I was dying to find out what kind of person would actually date Renee. I mean, I could believe see was trying to be a better person than she had been five years ago - and she was really making an effort at that – but I could she she was still a fickle and slightly immature person. It would take a strong man to be able to put up with her.

"Goodbye," Libby waved from her place at the couch.

"Will you give me a hug?" Renee asked animatedly.

Libby thought about that silently for a little while. I could almost see the dilemma being fought out on her face. She really didn't want to, but was thinking of it would make Bella sad if she refused.

"No," she finally said in a hesitant voice.

"Why the hell not?" Renee seemed shocked.

"Mom!" Bella yelled.

"I still don't like you," Libby stated, crossing her arms in front of her chest and glaring at Renee who looked like she had just been kicked in the guts.

"That's not a very nice thing to say," Renee scolded after she returned to her senses. "You should always respect your elders."

All kinds of murder scenarios started to play in the back of my head as Libby clung to my legs for protection, hiding her face in the fabric of my jeans. How dare she talk to Libby like that? I was gearing up to give her a piece of my mind but Bella beat me to it.

"Listen mom," Bella hissed through her teeth. "Libby is not under any obligation to like you. In fact: you messed things up the first time the two of you met so don't act all hurt and disappointed now."

"Have the two of you been riling her up against me?" Renee's voice had taken on that unpleasant offended tone again that I remembered from the first time we had met.

"Mom," Bella snarled in the voice that could silence a classroom full of adolescents doped up on Red Bull. I subconsciously flinched back.

The voice seemed to do the trick though because I could see Renee coming to her senses again. The menacing twist leaving her face, remorse taking it's place.

"I'm sorry Bella," she sighed. "It's just that it came as rather a shock to me. You know how badly I handle surprises."

So that was were Bella got her aversion to surprises from. I had always wondered what had made Bella so nervous and fidgety when something unexpected happened.

"I do know that," Bella replied, her voice firm. "But that doesn't give you the right to scare or insult my daughter."

"But...." Renee started. She was silenced by Bella before she could for a sentence.

"I asked Libby to give you a fair chance but you have to understand that after everything that happened on Thanksgiving you're not going to be a very likable person to her. You have no claim on her affection, at least not just because she's your granddaughter. You'll have to work double as hard to earn her trust and affection as you'll have to work to win back mine. If you don't intend to do that then I don't think there's a place for you in our lives."

Libby was nodding furiously, her tiny frame still tense. I hated having to be a grownup and keeping my composure that moment. If not I would have been nodding just as hard as Libby.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, looking genuinely distraught. "I shouldn't have let myself go like that." She turned to Libby after that. "I hope I didn't scare you."

"You did a little," Libby said, leaning away from my leg. She was always anything of not brutally honest. "But it's okay. I still won't hug you though."

"That's fine sweetie," Renee sighed, realizing she was back to square one. "I'd better leave you to yourselves then."

Bella walked her to the door. I could see she was still angry at Renee for snapping at Libby the way she did. I was sure some thing were going to be said in the hallway.

As soon as Bella and Renee had left the room Libby detached herself from my legs and lifted her arms, silently relaying her desire to be picked up. A request I was only too happy to oblige.

"You okay honey?" I asked, sitting the both of us back on the couch.

"Yes," she said. "Are mommy and you angry with me for not liking grandma?"

"Of course not honey!" I said. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"I don't know," she shrugged.

"The only thing we asked you to do was to give her a chance and you did that," I said, waiting to make it perfectly clear that she had done nothing wrong. "You're free to like her or not."

"Are you okay Libby?" Bella said, rushing back into the living room and taking up the space next to us on the couch. "I'm so sorry for what happened."

"You couldn't have known," I comforted her, wrapping one arm around her back.

"I know, but that doesn't keep me from feeling horrible," she replied before turning to Libby again. "I'm so sorry for putting you through this. I know it must have been hard for you."

"So you're not angry?" Libby asked.

"No!" Bella stated, pulling Libby into a hug that would have made Emmett proud. "I'm actually rather proud of you!"

"Let's just do something fun this evening," I offered. The three of us really needed something to make this day end on a happier note.

"Do you want to go see Madagascar 2 ?" I added, remembering I'd seen something about that movie playing in cinema's. "We could grab a quick bite to eat and catch an early show?"

"Yay!" Libby squealed, dancing around the living room. "Can we mommy? Can we? Can we? Can we?"

"I don't know," Bella, pondered, light sparkling in her eyes. "I think you've had enough excitement for today........"

"But I really want to go see the pansies!" Libby whined. "Please mommy?" She put up her best pout. The pout no force on the planet could ever resist.

"Okay," Bella sighed in mock exasperation. "We can go. But I don't want any funny business from you young lady!"

I remembered what Bella had told me about Libby's behavior in the cinema during our second first date. I was glad I finally got a chance to see it for myself.

Libby ran upstairs to get her things while I helped Bella clear the dishes from the table.

"You seemed awfully smug all afternoon," she remarked, scrutinizing me though tightened lids. "It was almost as if you were enjoying yourself."

"I wasn't really enjoying myself," I retorted. "The only thing I was enjoying was the way Libby independently made up her own mind in spite of what people were trying to make her think. She really is her mothers daughter."

"Don't go thinking you can weasel yourself out of this so easily mister!"

"I wouldn't dare!" I laughed.

"I know there is no love lost between you and my mother – well, at least not from your side – but you could try to hide it a little better next time."

"I'm sorry," I said, though my remorse was more focused on disappointing Bella than on Renee. "I know how much you'd like to move on from all your issues with Renee but please understand that I can't. Not just yet anyway."

"Why not?" she asked, sitting down at the dining table next to me.

"It's just.....she almost ruined everything for us. She hurt you and even though you try to hide it, those scars still run deep. It pains me to even think about how much pain you must have suffered and it infuriates me to see how lightly she has stepped over that. I know how you are trying to forgive her and patch things up between the two of you again but – for the moment – I can't. Not just yet. Not when you are still hurting. So excuse me if I don't roll out the welcome wagon."

"I understand," she sighed, wrapping her arms around me and scooting onto my lap. "Though I wish the two of you could get along."

"I'm trying, love," I said, letting out a huge sigh.

"It's so hard for me to see the important people in my life at odds with each other," she said, leaning her head against my shoulder. "I just want everyone to be happy."

"You're too kind hearted for your own good," I laughed, kissing her hair.

"Mommy! Daddy! Hurry up!" Libby yelled, running into the kitchen buried under a pile of coats and shawls. "We're going to be late!"

_**I'm glad you all seemed to like the last chapter as much as I did! I hope you liked this one as well. It didn't quite turn out as I expected. **_

_**Initially I had planned to make this a humorous chapter about how Libby wiped the floor with Renee, but as usual my plans were turned upside down the moment I started writing. I hope that didn't make this chapter seem too schizophrenic.**_

_**I also hope I didn't make Libby too wise beyond her years. As I said before, I have no real life experience with five year olds, other than a few cousins I don't see that often. **_

_**The next chapter will have Rose's bachelorette party in it and will feature male strippers (I can't tell you how much fun I've had researching for that one!) It should be up on Friday, though it may be a little later since I'm in meetings 'till late on Friday.**_

_**Please review!**_


	27. Highway to the danger zone

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**I hope there aren't too many mistakes in this chapter. I've been stuck in grade meetings (is that the proper description for the meetings that deal with the grades your pupils have managed to score?) since twelve in the afternoon (it's now after six o clock where I live) and I'm exhausted. I might have overlooked some little things. If I did, please let me know and I'll go fix them.**_

**Highway to the danger zone.**

Rose had been her usual subtle self when it came to what she wanted to do for her bachelorette party. She'd just rounded up Alice, Heidi and me one afternoon and bluntly told us that'd we'd better be planning to have the party at Hunk-O-Mania because she'd kill us if we didn't

So, here I was again, stuck in Alice's torture chair in front of my vanity for another session of Bella Barbie. I made a mental note to get rid of both the vanity and the chair after Alice left though she'd probably just buy me a new one if she ever found out.

Alice had explained to me that today I was going to be hoochified in the most fashionable and tasteful sense of the word, whatever that may be. I was sure I probably wasn't going to like it very much.

After Alice had worked her 'magic' on my hair and makeup I was allowed to look at myself in the mirror.

Damn!I had to fight hard to suppress a giggle as I took in my appearance. Alice wouldn't be understanding if I laughed at all her hard work

My hair was big enough to make even _The Nanny_ see green with envy, my eyes had enough eye shadow on them to make me look like and Indian in war paint and don't even get me started on my lips.

I never wore lipstick - at least not the kind that differed from the natural color of my lips – and there was a reason for that. My lips were big enough as they were, lipstick made them look huge. Angelina Jolie huge. Right now, with a bold red lip gloss on them they looked enormous. It was like somebody had just punched me in the face, or as if a bee had somehow miraculously managed to sting both my lips at once.

"Oh my........" I stammered as I took in my appearance. I looked like a cheap hooker already and I hadn't even seen the clothes I was supposed to wear.

"Thanks! I'm rather satisfied with the end result as well," Alice purred, looking like a cat who had it's belly full of canary.

Did she think I was beyond words because I liked this?

"I-I can't go out like this, Alice," I stammered.

"Why the hell not?" she asked, comprehension dawning on her face.

"Look at me!" I yelled, pointing at the reflection in the mirror. "I look like I should be on the stage of that strip club, not in the audience!"

"There's nothing wrong with being sexy Bella!" Alice scolded. She looked so disappointed I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

"What if we made a deal," I offered.

"I'm listening." Alice crossed her arms in front of her chest. I was going to have to drive a hard bargain to convince her.

"What if we changed the red lipstick for plain natural lip gloss?" I offered. "I'll even let you get away with a shimmering variation......"

"Okay," Alice sighed. "But just so you know"I'm only going along with that because I know you'll whine all through the evening if I don't."

"I love you too," I smiled, relieved I wouldn't be looking like I was having some kind of allergic reaction.

We quickly changed my makeup before Alice handed me the garment bag that held my outfit for the evening. Alice, like Rose before her, had decided that it was of no use to drag me off on shopping trips so she just applied the tools of her trade. Whenever she thought it was time to update my wardrobe she just showed up at my place with a few suitcases filled with clothes and pressured me into accepting them.

I opened the bag to reveal a black sequined top which I actually rather liked. I mean sure, it was a little bold for my taste but knowing Alice it could have been much worse. The shirt looked surprisingly comfortable actually.

"Where's the rest of the outfit?" I asked expectantly.

"Here," Alice said, absentmindedly handing me a pair of ridiculously high heeled shoes.

"No, I mean the pants that go with the top," I said, dropping the shoes to the floor for now.

Alice snorted. "That's not a top, you idiot! It's a dress!"

I felt the color drain from my face as I looked from Alice to the shirt that was actually a dress.

Oh no!

Not good.

"Y-you mean that's _all_ I'm gong to be wearing tonight?" I asked, though it sounded more like a whimper. "That's just....not....good!"

"And what's wrong with it, might I ask?" Alice sneered.

"Look at it Alice," I sighed exasperated. "It's tiny. It barely covers my ass! How do you expect me to move around in that _thing_?"

"That _thing_ is a three hundred dollar dress by a top designer. It was meant for a night such as this," Alice huffed. "So stop whining and start dressing so we can get out of here." She tapped her foot impatiently while she glared at me. She had the same kind of issues as Rose had when it came to criticism on fashion.

I pulled the dress over my head, careful not to smudge the makeup. If I ruined all of Alice's hard work she'd kill me. The t-shirt or dress or whatever only came to mid thigh, barely covering enough skin to avoid being arrested for public nudity. I could only pray nothing would happen tonight that required me to duck or I'd be flashing my ass for all the world to see, even though I had had the good sense to wear a pair of boy shorts.

I sighed, as I shot a glance at my reflection in the mirror. I looked like a prostitute. All my hope was now vested in Edward.

Alice must have come to the same conclusion since she practically tiptoed downstairs. I could have told her to save herself the trouble since there was no way I could walk downstairs in high heels without making all kinds of noise.

As I reached the landing I could hear the sounds of a piano being abused downstairs. After weeks of begging, Edward had finally caved to Libby's demands and was starting to teach our daughter how to play the piano. Libby – never very patient – had expected to be a virtuoso by the time she'd had her third lesson and every time she made a mistake she took it out on the poor piano.

Seeing Edward – torn between the love for his child and the respect for his instrument - watching Libby play with a pained expression on his face was priceless though. I admired his patience. He had never once lost his cool with her, not even when Libby, frustrated with her slow progress, had slammed the lid shut, making the piano exude a terrible tortured kind of noise.

I held on to the banister as I carefully took the stairs one step at the time. It was a good thing that I did, because just about halfway I slipped and would have tumbled down the stairs if I hadn't held on to the banister for dear life.

I managed to scramble back to my feet and continued my descent without any further mishaps. I could help a satisfied grin creep on my face as I realized that the sounds of the piano had stopped. Edward must have heard my near-accident.

"Bella, are you okay?" he asked wearily as he stepped into the hallway.

"I'm fine," I grumbled. "That is if you don't take into account the hooker dress your dear sister put me in."

"It is NOT........" Alice started, only to be silenced by Edward as he stalked past Alice and switched on the light.

"She's not leaving the house dressed like that," Edward stated, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"What are you, her dad?" Alice sneered. "If Bella wants to leave the house dressed like that it's her own damn business."

"Yeah, I'm sure Bella picked out that dress," Edward snorted. "Tell me, how did you blackmail her into wearing it, or did you force the damn thing on her?"

"I do NOT use blackmail to make people look good," Alice huffed, her stance mirroring Edwards. "And I sure as hell didn't use force."

"Well, you'd better have an alternative stashed around here somewhere, because she's not going out looking like that," Edward snarled.

"She is too," Alice grumbled. I half expected her to stick out her tongue.

"Will the two of you stop talking as if I'm not here?" I yelled, staggering over to the battle scene.

They both ignored me.

"You are going to let Bella and me walk out of this door without getting all protective and difficult," Alice stated calmly after a few seconds had passed. I had to admire her guts.

"Oh, yeah?" Edward snarled. "And what makes you think that?"

"Did I mention I had a delightful little chat with mom a few weeks ago?" Alice mused innocently. "She told me all about what happened after Jasper and I left on Thanksgiving. "All of it...."

Edwards blush no doubt mirrored mine.

"I didn't know you had it in you!" Alice chuckled, patting Edward on the back. "I mean, I knew you had to be doing something right since the both of you've both been walking around with silly grins on your faces ever since you went on your third date."

"And what has this to do with me allowing Bella to walk out of this house half naked?" Edward said, regaining his composure.

"Well," Alice smirked. "I'm sure Emmett will be delighted to hear how you tied his sweet, innocent baby sister to the bed and had hot kinky sex with her."

All color left my face. She wouldn't. Would she?

I studied the little pixie next to me, standing with her hand on her hip while staring down her brother.

Oh yes, she would.

I sighed. "Let's just get out of here Alice, before Rose shows up to drag us out of here by our hair."

Before I could leave the house Edward pulled me into a tight embrace. "Call me if anything happens, and I do mean anything," he pleaded, his voice sounding constricted.

"I will," I promised.

"If you let another man as much as breathe on her I'll break into your house and set fire to all your clothes," Edward snarled at Alice.

"Humph! I'd like to see you try," Alice huffed. "Let's go Bella."

I leaned in to give Edward a quick kiss but he would have none of that. Before I knew it he had me pushed against the wall while his lips devoured me. I forgot the little girl in the room next door and the little sprite standing right next to us. All I wanted right now was for Edward to lift me up and take me upstairs.

As Edward hands started to wander up my skirt Alice thought that was a good moment to step in.

"Hello," she sang. "I'm standing right here and even though I like staring at naked men just as much as the next girl, I prefer them not to be my brother."

With that she grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the house. I was still too stunned to fight her. If this was the kind of reaction Edward was having to seeing me in this dress then I might just have to reevaluate my opinion of it.

I shuddered as we stepped into the cold December air, wondering once again why I had let Alice put me in this tiny t-shirt of a dress when it was going to be Christmas in a few days. The only comfort I could find was in the fact that if I got a cold or – even better, the flu – Rose would kill Alice for ruining her wedding and I would have the perfect excuse to just blend into the background during the wedding.

"Oh, for heavens sake! Quit being such a baby!" Alice scolded, playfully slapping me on the shoulder. "It's not like New York's the fucking North Pole!"

"Feels like it to me," I grumbled, wondering why she didn't feel cold, considering she had even less on than I had. I was also wondering how she made the tint strapless dress stick to her body. A whole roll of fashion tape wouldn't have made me feel secure enough to go out dressed like that.

"Sometimes you haver to sacrifice a little bit of comfort to look pretty," Alice stated. Obviously she had a whole different notion on what was a little sacrifice than I had. I thought the shoes had been a medium sized sacrifice, let alone walking into winter wonderland half naked.

"Little sacrifice?" I asked, unable to hide the sarcasm.

"Believe me, once you get back to Edward later tonight you'd be thanking me for making you dress like that!" she grinned.

I blushed, remembering Edwards reaction to the dress.

Would Alice and Rose be very disappointed if I just skipped the party and went back home for the after party?

Stupid question.

Of course they would.

Alice wouldn't even let me get away from her....

Stupid Alice.

"Bella! Stop thinking dirty thoughts about my brother and get into the fucking car. I'm freezing my butt off over here," Alice yelled through the window of her Porsche. It was only then that I noticed we had reached her car and the passenger door had been opened, judging by Alice's comments probably for some time now.

I quickly stepped into the vehicle and Alice pulled out of the parking space, the engine purring with delight as we sped through the streets. What was it with these Cullens and their tendency to look at the speed limits as just guidelines?

We arrived at Tao's in no time at all and found Heidi, Leah, Rose and my mom already waiting for us.

My mom had been trying very hard to redeem herself for her behavior when she met Libby last week and even though I gave her credit for trying so hard, I couldn't help but being a little more hesitant around her. I had experienced once again how unstable she was and how important it was to thread very carefully around her.

"Good God Alice! How on earth did you get her to wear that dress?" my mom yelled, her eyes wide in amazement.

"Blackmail and coercion will get you everywhere!" Alice grinned.

"Forget how you got her in that dress," Rose chuckled. "How the hell did you sneak her past Edward?"

"That was a hard task," Alice giggled, no doubt thinking back to the standoff that had taken place. "Luckily I know my brother well enough to know where his weakness lies. That, plus all the dirty little secrets I've discovered."

I blushed.

"Ooooh," Rose, Heidi and my mom squealed in unison. "Elaborate!"

"NO!" I yelled. "Alice Cullen, if I even find out you even so much as hinted at that I'll never let you buy Libby clothes again for as long as you both shall live!"

Alice pouted. She might be in the know about Edwards weaknesses and mine, but I sure as hell knew some of hers as well.

Only an idiot wouldn't have picked up on the fact that she loved buying pretty girly clothes for Libby. We'd even had to buy the kid a new wardrobe closet just to fit in all the new clothes she had been given since Alice made her appearance in our lives.

"The Swan/Cullen party?" The hostess asked, coming over to where we were sitting at the bar.

"That's us," Rose stated, getting up from her stool

As always when we went out Rose's dress was tiny, bordering on non-existent, and bold. With this occasion being her last hurrah before she became an 'old married woman' as she called it herself I hadn't expected anything less than the usual.

Like Alice she was wearing a strapless dress, her version bright pink and with a tiered skirt. To accentuate her waist she had put on a black patent leather belt matching her shiny black ankle boots with five inch mirrored heals. Only Rose could pull off an outfit like this without looking like a prostitute.

"Well, this sure is a step up the ladder from Forks!" my mom laughed as we walked into the huge hall that made up the dining space of the restaurant.

I laughed with her, looking around me as we were sat at a table in the middle of the hall. Even though the space was huge they had managed to make it look comfortable by decorating in earthy colors and having the light dimmed to a level where you could just see the food that was in front of you on your plate.

The high ceilings made it feel almost like you were outside. You'd have to stretch your neck to see the ceiling. The huge Buddha that graced the far wall and the Asian artifacts placed all over the space emphasized that this was an Asian restaurant.

"What's up there?" I asked, pointing towards red arched structure high above us.

"That's the sky box," Alice explained. "It's where the famous people eat."

"Famous people?" I asked, looking around me.

Everyone but Leah and my mom rolled their eyes at me. "Yes. Famous People," Heidi explained. "The place is practically flooded with them."

"So George Clooney might be eating his Kobe Beef a few yards away from us right now?" Leah asked.

All of us looked up towards the sky box, trying to see of we could recognize anyone. Unfortunately the space seemed to be empty.

"Well ladies,"Rose stated as we tucked into our main courses. "It's time to put our heads together and decide what we know of Emmett's bachelor party."

Rose had demanded her bachelorette party would take place only after Emmett had had his big bash so that she could repay him for any funny business taking lace during that night tenfold. Even though she trusted my brother blindly and all of us knew our men would never cheat on us, she would have been mad not to suspect some degree of drunken debauchery to happen at Emmett's bachelor party.

"Felix came home grinning like and idiot claiming they only went out for burgers and beers and hit a club afterwards," Heidi said. "So I'm guessing that club probably would have been a strip club."

Rose nodded. "I got pretty much the same vibe from Emmett.

"Same here,"Alice huffed. "Only Jasper promised me he didn't do anything that would get him into trouble with me."

I smiled, knowing how Alice hated to be left out of the loop. I was sure she had given Jasper a very hard time about his.

"And here," Leah added. I was still getting used to her dating Jacob. Jake had told me about it that day he went to visit me. It had almost knocked me off my feat. I knew Leah as nothing but a stuck up bitch with a permanent scowl on her face and I had a hard time imagining how anyone would find that attractive, let alone the laid back cheerful Jacob I had known and loved.

"What about Edward?" Rose asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"He just looked at bit.....peevish when he got back and mumbled something about how spending the night with a bunch of five year olds would have been more mentally stimulating." I shrugged.

"So, we have four very elated boyfriends and one pissed off prude," Rose mused. "That screams stripers to me."

"Hey!" I yelled, attracting the attention of some of the other diners. "Don't go calling my boyfriend a prude!"

"What?" Rose said in mock surprise. "It's not like he isn't one!"

Alice nodded in agreement. Damned traitorous pixie.

"I would have you know that Edward isn't a prude," I huffed. "He's quite.....inventive and dominating in the bedroom."

Did I just say that?

Dear lord.

It must be the alcohol.

Or the dress.

I looked up through my eyelashes to find the rest of the party staring at me, their mouths slightly agape. I guess I wasn't the only one amazed by my little honest streak.

"And by the way, you don't hear me calling Emmett a man-whore either," I added, quickly getting back to the subject. "So shut the hell up Rosalie."

"I wouldn't have any objection to you calling Emmett a man-whore if he was one," Rose shrugged. "But he isn't – well, at least not anymore – whilst dear Edward is – in fact – still a prude, even though he may be a lion in the bedroom."

I groaned. She was going to use this against me. I just knew it.

In the end Rose concluded that Emmett had been behaving himself revoltingly well, limiting her options considerably. I knew it was all an act. Rose might be acting like a nympho right now but there was no way in hell she was ever going to cheat on Emmett. Their bond was very deep, even though to the outside world it might appear as just a physical thing, and it had deepened even more ever since they had a child together.

As we wrapped up dinner Rose started giving Alice a serious run for her money in the hyperactive department. She was so anxious to get over to the strip club she practically chased us out of the building.

As we arrived at the club on Houston Street there was already a throng of giddy looking women waiting outside. Alice and Rose – never ones to wait in line – just stalked passed them and walked over to the door.

"We're the Swan/Cullen party," Alice chirped at the doormen. "We've reserved a private balcony."

The guy rifled through his papers.

"Ah, yes," he stated as he found what he had been looking for. "Bachelorette party, isn't it?"

Alice nodded as the guy winked at her, hinting at some previously set-up plan. Rose squealed with delight when she caught their look. It was plain to see she was already getting slightly tipsy, as were the rest of us, and she was enjoying herself very much.

"Here's the key to your balcony. Just follow the signs up from the main auditorium and you should be able to find it."

He handed Alice a little silver key and a set of plastic bracelets, one for each of us. They were our drinking passes.

After we had sorted everything out we walked into the building. As soon as we crossed the threshold I could hear the muted screams of what appeared to be more than a hundred sexually frustrated women, the noise getting only louder as we walked into what the guy at the door had described as the main auditorium.

"Dear Lord, where have you taken me?" I muttered as I took in the scene in front of me.

Since Alice had took it upon herself to organize this part of the evening I had had no idea of what to expect. Growing up in small town Forks I always imagined strip clubs to be dark, seedy and grimy. I sure as hell didn't expect a huge swanky club filled with at least five hundred women screaming at the top of their lungs and the huge stage filling an entire side of the room.

The general theme of the evening seemed to be male nudity and free range groping and apparently that wasn't just restricted to the events that were to take place on stage. Even the waiters were half naked and, judging by all the ass grabbing going on in front of me, most of the women had taken notice of that fact.

"It's great isn't it," Rose squealed, her eyes huge with delight. The look on her face reminded me of Libby getting ready to open her presents on Christmas morning.

"It's......different," I managed to get out, distracted by a waiter who had nearly fallen onto his face after a bra some skank of a woman had flung at him had managed to get wrapped around his eyes. He looked like the after-hours version of Zorro with his eyes just about peeping through the black satin of the undergarment.

We took our seats on the balcony hanging above the main part of the room. I was glad Alice had opted for places that seemed to be a bit quieter than the rest of the room and a little further away from all the nakedness.

"What can I get for you ladies?" one of the scantily clad waiters crooned, just as we were taking our seats.

"Tequila shots all around......Am I right ladies?" Heidi said, grinning at us.

I didn't know if it was a wise decision to be drinking even more alcohol but I nodded anyway, knowing it was the easiest way out.

"You know, that waiter is kind of hot," my mom said, looking at the waiters but as he walked away from us.

"He has nothing on Jacob," Leah blurted out.

"Is that right Bella?" Renee asked winking at me.

Alice's mouth fell open. Nobody must have told her of my history with Jake.

"Ew! Don't tell me you saw Fido's naked butt!" Rose said in horror.

Leah glared at her.

"No!" I yelled. "Geez Rose, what do you take me for? I was just a kid when Jake and I went out!"

"So you didn't sneak a peak at the goods?" my mom grinned. She hadn't been nearly as supportive of the idea of Jake and me together when we had actually been together. I guess that was just because Charlie had wanted it and she hated everything Charlie liked.

I shook my head.

"Your loss," Leah grinned. "I can tell you they're quite....spectacular."

Rose and I both made sounds of disgust.

"Who is this Jacob guy?" Alice asked confused. I could notice she was feeling a little frustrated at being out of the loop.

"Jake's my childhood friend," I explained. "We practically grew up together since his dad and my dad were best friends. We went out for a few months when we were both in highschool but after a while I realized that I didn't really love him. At least, not in the boyfriend/girlfriend kind of way."

"And how do you know him?" Alice asked, looking from me to Leah.

"He's my brother,"she said. When she noticed the general looks of horror from everyone except Rose, Renee and me she quickly added "He's just my step brother. My mom married his dad when we were kids. I loved him from the moment I set eyes on him. Too bad he loved Bella though," she threw me a look that reminded me of the old, perpetually cranky Leah.

"When Bella moved to New York he finally came to his senses and we got together," she continued. "I know part of him will always love Bella since she's his first major crush, but he loves me more now." She shot me a smug little grin when she said that, reminding me once again of why I never liked her.

"Okay, enough with the big revelations already!" Rose interrupted us. "We're at a strip club enjoying my last night on the town as a free woman. Let's focus on the nudity!"

Right then the waiter brought us our drinks. As he put them on the table in front of us I thought I saw my moms hand brush over his rear.

"Mom!" I yelled, when the guy had left. "Did you just touch that guy's ass?"

"What?" she yelled back with mock indignant. "He works at a strip club. I'm sure he gets that all the time. And he's cute."

"Don't you have a boyfriend already?" I scolded.

"Well," she grumbled. "Since Phil couldn't get get time off from his job I've had to go without for weeks now."

I was saved from from further revelations about my moms sex life or lack thereof when the lights went out and all the women in the room started screaming from the top of their lungs, cutting short all possibilities of having any kind of conversation.

As I looked down I was even more glad that Alice had splashed out on a private balcony since the downstairs area had tuned into a fuzzy mess of women scrambling to get close to the stage.

As the lights started flashing a man's voice welcomed us to Hunk-o-Mania and announced that for tonight the dancers would be craving the assistance of three very special ladies. Right then the lights flashed to the stage, revealing three chairs standing in the middle of the stage.

Rose perked up in her seat, looking expectantly at Alice and me.

"_The first very special lady I would like to welcome to the stage is Charlotte Blackwood!"_ The voice announced. We could hear the squeals sound from a space in the far corner of the room and a few moments later a very nervous looking older woman was pushed onto the stage by her giggling girlfriends. She looked like she had just wandered out of the city archives onto a scene from _Caligula_. It was very obvious this visit hadn't been her idea.

"_The next sexy woman we would like to welcome to our show tonight is Joey Potter" _The man announced. A few minutes later another woman was shoved onto the stage. Though I wasn't sure 'woman' was the right phrase for the tiny little thing that took the seat on the left. She looked like a dear caught in headlights.

"_And finally, we crave the assistance of miss Rosalie Hale!" _

Rose let out a huge scream and kissed Alice and me on the cheek before running out of out little sanctuary, sashaying onto the stage a few moments later.

Just as Rose sat down in the middle seat, flanked by the mousy librarian and the scared looking teeny-bopper the theme from Top Gun started playing.

I could almost hear Rose squeal from where we were sitting. Top Gun had been one of her favorites since it offered pre scary couch jumping shenanigans Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer in very tight pants uttering all sorts of tough man-talk.

She had to actually sit on her hands to keep from grabbing something as four muscled men in crisp white naval uniforms marched onto the stage, saluting the mass of screaming women at their feet.

As I looked to my sides I saw that I was the only one in our party that had yet to join the ranks of the screaming hysterical. Even my mom was hollering all kinds of suggestions no-one should ever hear their mother utter at the four men on stage.

I groaned with disgust.

"Lighten up Bella," Alice scolded me. "There are four hot men preparing to get naked in front of us. There's no need for complaining."

"I don't find those kinds of men all that attractive Alice," I yelled in her ear, hoping she could hear me with all the screaming going on around us. "They sort of remind me of Emmett and you know I have no desire to see my brother naked."

"Will you just stop thinking for an hour or two?" Alice huffed. "If push comes to shove just imagine it's Edward on the stage."

She returned her attention to the stage after that. Was that what she was doing? Was she pretending one of those guys to be Jasper?

The mental picture of a naked Jasper,shaking his long thin frame on the stage was almost as unsettling as the realization one f the strippers reminded me of Emmett. The Emmett lookalike won hands down though, especially since my mom seemed to be kind of turned on by exactly that guy. I sure as hell hoped she didn't have some strange Oedipus-like fascination.

As _Highway to the danger zone _set in I tried to imagine it was Edward standing there, swaying his hips smoothly to the rhythm of the music, the definition of his muscled chest easily perceptible through the jacket of his uniform.

I made a mental note to get one of those uniforms for him.

As I watched them – or better: the mental picture of Edward – move on the stage I couldn't stop the hand that was trailing over my body, my cheeks flashing hot red at the thoughts that drifted into my mind.

"Ewww Bella," Alice groaned next to me. "I know I told you to picture it was Edward dancing in front of you but please, for the love of God, try not to make it so obvious!"

I blushed. The thought of Edward in full naval dress uniform still making me drool a little.

It felt like the room was going to explode as the men started to pull at their jackets, ripping open the buttons and peeling the sleeves from their muscled arms. They waved the fabric around over their head before striding over to the place where the three women were sitting. When one of the marines threw his hat into the audience before doubling over and wiggling his ass at the mess of screaming women behind them I thought I saw someone fainting.

One of the guys motioned for the librarian to come over to him. I thought the poor woman was going to suffer a stroke as she shuffled forwards only to have the guy grind his junk into her. It actually seemed to have quite the opposite effect on her and before I could register what happened her hands had come behind the mans back and started groping his ass, to the delight of the rest of the room.

The other guys seemed to take this as a cue to busy themselves with the two remaining women.

I thought the poor little girl on the far left side was going to faint when her designated stripper started to pull her forward, undulating against her. The guy must have picked up on that, because he didn't take it any further than that. He just started dancing in front of her, eliciting more screams from the audience as he brushed his hands along his oily slick abs, biting his lips for added effect.

I could see Rose grinning from ear to ear when two of the guys made their way over to her, one of them standing in front of her, pushing her legs apart, the other standing behind her, pinning her hands above her head. The guy in front of her started rocking his hips from side to side on the beat of the music, giving the audience behind him a good view of his ass.

I could see Rose squirming in her seat as she took in the scene in front of her. She was enjoying her last night as a free woman that's for sure!

"_Now how many ladies want to see those pants come of?" _the speaker asked, eliciting another round of hysterical screams.

All four of the guys moved to the front of the stage, dancing suggestively while bringing their hands over to the waistbands of their pants.

Exactly on cue all four of them ripped away their pants, the women in attendance, including those on the stage, screaming so hard I thought the roof would come off. All four of the men where now 'dressed' in just their army boots and minuscule g-strings. They were really laying it on thick, flexing and relaxing the muscles in their buttocks while keeping up their sway.

"Oh, my....." Alice started, grinning at the scene in front of her.

"Lord........." Heidi finished, fanning herself with a coaster.

One of the guys placed a chair in the middle of the stage again while another guy motioned Rose to come forward.

Rose's grin only grew in size as she darted over to the chair, the two guys from before helping her get ready for whatever was coming next. One of them took her hands again. It almost looked like they were afraid Rose was going to try something funny, a fear not entirely unfounded. The other moved her legs apart, taking care Rose wasn't flashing her goods for all the world to see, though I didn't think she would have minded right now.

When Rose was ready, the third guy, dancing at the far end of the stage, suddenly glided over to where Rose was sitting on his knees, landing right in between her legs and started moving like he was giving her head.

Even Rose looked a little baffled at first, but seemed to like it after the shock wore off. It seemed like she liked it a lot.....

I was regretting not taking my camcorder with me. If only I would have found a way to record this on tape I would have had excellent blackmailing material for later. Rose would never have been able to embarrass me in public ever again.

The show came to an end soon after that and after she had gotten hugs and kisses from the guys on the stage Rose made her way up to us again.

She slumped into her chair, grinning wickedly at us.

"So, I take it you liked your little present?" Alice purred.

"I LOVE YOU!" Rose yelled, flinging herself in Alice's arms. The poor pixie was totally buried underneath the much taller ex-model, her chair nearly flipping over at the sudden movement.

"And what am I, chopped liver?" I said in mock indignation.

"I love you too Bella!" she squealed, making her way over to me.

I instantly regretted saying anything when she sat on my lap, pulling me into a close hug. I was almost smothered in her breasts and I moved my arms up to attract attention.

"Can't........breathe......" I managed to croak, gasping in just enough air to prevent me from fainting.

"Oooops, sorry!" Rose giggled, releasing me and plopping back into her own chair.

We moved to a club nearby Heidi knew, having a few more drinks. While Rose, Heidi, and Alice busied themselves on the dance floor Leah and I looked on from a booth we had reserved. My mom had decided to call it a night after the strip show, claiming she needed to call Phil and discuss something important with him before she went to bed. I didn't ask what it was that she needed to discuss at twelve o clock in the night. I had already learned more than I ever needed to know about my mother's sex life tonight.

"Bella?" Leah asked, as she hit back another shot. "I have something to say to you."

Judging by the slight slur in her words it was time for 'drunken admissions with Leah Clearwater part two.'

"Spill," I encouraged her. There probably wasn't much she could have to say to me. We had never been close – her jealousy had prevented that – and I never had much to do with her.

"Well........it's kind of......difficult," she muttered, her voice hardly discernible above the thumping basses of the music.

I was getting a bit curious now. What could she have to say to me? I hoped it wasn't another remark about Jake's hot ass or something like that. I'd heard quite enough about that already.

"It's okay," I said. "I can pretty much take anything you throw at me."

"Well......ermmmm......," she shifted in her seat, moving a bit further away from me. What the hell was the girl planning to tell me? "Well.......it's kind of like......this......."

I nodded for her to continue. Her squirming was kind of driving me mad.

"Oh, what the hell!" she groaned. "When your dad died and Jake and I took you home from the hospital a guy called just after you'd been knocked out by those horse pills the doctor gave you. I took the call and promised him to tell you he'd called but I never did."

I had to let the words sink in before it dawned on me.

Edward.

The guy calling had been Edward. It had been the first call he made to my house. I had always thought it was my mom who answered the phone but now it seemed Leah had shared the blame for our separation.

That bitch!

"WHY," I yelled at her. She'd better come with one hell of a good explanation or she'd end up in hospital.

She sighed. "I knew the guy wasn't 'just a guy' and I wanted to protect Jacob from more heartbreak," she stated calmly.

"So you just thought you'd break my heart instead?" I snarled.

"I already hated you for stealing Jacob, it seemed like a logical thing to do at the time. Sort of like payback for the pain you caused Jake when you broke up with him...." she shrugged.

I had to go sit on my hands to keep them from wrapping around the bitch's neck and strangling the life out of her. Seeing my effort would be of no use I got up from my seat. I'd do anything to get the hell away from her, even if it meant joining Rose, Alice and Heidi on the dance floor.

"You stay the hell away from me," I screamed at her, throwing the remainder of my drink in her face. "If ever come near me or my family again I swear I'll kill you."

With that I swaggered over to the dance floor to join the rest of the girls, never looking back to Leah. I hoped she felt sorry for what she did, but I feared the worst. The only thing that bugged me was whether Jake knew of this or not.

It was past three AM when we finally swaggered out of the club, Rosalie and Heidi quickly hailing a cab for them to share, leaving Alice and me alone on the sidewalk, holding on to each other for support.

"Uhm, Alice?" I asked, after we started to walk towards her Porsche.

"Yes, my dear?" she slurred, swaying dangerously on her heals, almost sending the two of us crashing down onto the sidewalk.

"Weren't you supposed to be the designated driver?" I could remember her saying nobody touched her baby except for her.

"Shit! I forgot," she shrieked, slapping her hand against her forehead. "Ouch!" she yelled. "I hit myself!"

"You're drunk, aren't you?" I laughed.

"No I'm not!" she yelled, reminding me of Libby even more. "I drank much less than you did and you're not drunk."

I debated explaining to her why she was drunk and I was just tipsy but decided against it. There was no way she was up to a big discussion right now.

"Anyway...you're in no fit way to drive," I stated. There was no way I was going to get into a car with her right now.

"True," she mused, fumbling in her purse before taking out her slim silver cellphone and rifling through her contacts.

"Who are you going to call?" I asked, hoping it would be a cab company.

"GHOST BUSTERS!" Alice sang, giggling hysterically.

"_Hello?" _I could hear Edwards sleepy voice through the phone.

"EDDIE!!!!!!!" Alice yelled into the phone. "Eddiepuss!"

I tried to snag the phone out of her hands which resulted in the both of us ending up on the sidewalk wresting for the damn thing. Thanks to Alice's drunken uncoordinated I won.

"Sorry Edward," I panted into the phone. "She's drunk."

"_What the hell is going on?_" he asked, fully awake now. _"What were the two of you doing just now?" _

"Well, your sister forgot she was the designated driver for the night and apparently she mistook your mobile number for that of the cab company. I'm sorry for waking you up like this. I'll just get us a cab and I'll be home in a few," I explained, looking at Alice who was still lying on the sidewalk.

"_Like hell you're getting into a cab at three in the morning,"_ Edward grumbled into the phone. _"Just wait where you are, I'm coming to get you." _

"Yeah, because standing on a nearly deserted sidewalk at three in the morning is so much safer than taking a cab!" I laughed. "Just go back to bed Edward."

"_I'm already on my way over to the car," _he said and I could hear by the tone of his voice that he was probably running. _"Where are you?" _

"Wait a minute Edward!" I yelled. "What if Libby were to wake up and find the whole place empty?"

"_Jasper's staying over,"_ Edward replied curtly. _"Now will you tell me where the hell you are?" _

"We're at Chaos, it's on Houston Street, near the corner of Essex street," I sighed, knowing it was of no use arguing with him now.

We said goodbye before I turned my attention back to the pile of Alice lying at my feet. I was relieved to hear Jasper was staying over at our place, at least that meant that he could take care of the inebriated pixie.

Just as I had finally gotten Alice to stand up, holding on to me for dear life, I spotted Edward pulling up in front of us.

He shook his head laughing as he saw the both of us, looking like we had just been in a drunken bitch fight – which was the truth – before helping the both of us in the car.

"If you throw up in the Volvo I'm going to key your car," He warned Alice, looking at her through the rear view mirror.

She just stuck out her tongue at him, before falling into a deep sleep.

I had almost dozed off myself as well as we pulled up in front of our home. I helped Edward carry a slightly snoring Alice upstairs, handing her over to Jasper, before walking into our room and sitting down on our bed.

It sure had been an eventful evening.

_**I had so much fun writing this chapter, though doing the research was even more fun. If you want to take a look at my 'study material' just go to youtube and type in Hunk-o-mania. I couldn't stop laughing at the sight of the strippers and the women they were 'entertaining'. I hope I described it properly in this chapter.**_

_**I'd like to wish everybody who's going to see the movie today a lot of fun. Unfortunately I have to wait until December 4th to see it (I hate living in the Netherlands sometimes). I can't wait though.....**_

_**The next chapter has the build up to Rose and Emmett's wedding in it.**_

_**Please, let me know what you thought of this chapter.**_


	28. Stardust and wedding nerves

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Stardust and wedding nerves.**

I couldn't sleep.

The thought of Bella, walking around somewhere in the city dressed in nothing but a shiny t-shirt – or whatever you wanted to call that thing she was wearing – stirred all kinds of emotions inside me.

Lust. Above all lust.

But also fear, jealousy and impatience.

I didn't mind the dress, not in the least. I would take my time all night tonight showing my appreciation for it. The look of her long, toned legs as she made her way down the stairs earlier tonight made me want to built it an alter and worship it daily. The thing I did mind was the fact that Bella would be leaving the house dressed in it. That other men would be able to see her dressed like that.

If Rose's bachelorette party was anything like Emmett's bachelor party a few days ago had been then her being dressed like that would not be a good thing. I sure as hell hoped Rose and Alice would keep my precious angel out of trouble.

Felix had organized a traditional bachelor party for Emmett, which had involved strippers, loud music and lots of booze and dollar bills being pushed into all kinds of crevices. I had tried to play along all night but it really wasn't the kind of place I enjoyed.

I couldn't appreciate the naked females dancing on the stage, not when I had my own Bella to compare them to. The fact that Emmett, Felix, Jacob and even Jasper, seemed to be able to enjoy themselves didn't speak highly to their advantage in my opinion.

Jasper had later explained that you had to detach yourself from the fact that it was a naked woman dancing on the stage and just appreciate it as a form of art, as some kind of ballet. I couldn't see it though. The movements the women made where to sexually charged to be seen as ballet, at least not the kind of ballet I remembered Esme taking me to see when I was younger.

During the night I had had the opportunity to talk to Jacob. After the debacle at our home and the talk at the hospital he had given Bella and me some space and apart from the occasional dinner we hadn't been in each others company. Now that I knew he wasn't a threat to me I saw that he wasn't a bad guy, though part of me would always hate him for the love he still felt for my Bella.

I had been glad that Jasper came over with beer and a pizza just after Bella and Alice had left. Even Emmett had made a short appearance, dropping in with Charlie after he had finished his work at the gym. Their presence was the only thing that had kept me from jumping into my car and dragging Bella out of whatever circle of hell Rose's bachelorette party was forcing her into.

I was just starting to drift off to sleep when the phone rang.

"Hello?" I yawned into the receiver.

"_EDDIE!!!!!!!!!" _I think they could have heard my sister three blocks away. _"Eddiepuss!" _

Alice was drunk, I could tell. Whenever she was drunk she sounded like tweety in a fit of hysteria and called me Eddie even though she knew I hated that particular abbreviation of my name.

I could hear some kind of struggle going on on the other end of the line and at one point I thought Alice's mobile phone had fallen to the floor.

"_Sorry Edward,"_ I heard my sweet angel say. _"She's drunk."_

Wait a minute. Wasn't Alice supposed to be the designated driver for the night? They had left in her Porsche. "What the hell is going on?" I yelled in the phone, probably a bit more aggravated than I should have. "What were the two of you doing just now?"

"_Well, your sister forgot she was the designated driver for the night and apparently she mistook your mobile number for that of the cab company. I'm sorry for waking you up like this. I'll just get us a cab and I'll be home in a few," _She explained.

Yeah, right. Like I was leaving her at the mercy of some horn dog New York cab driver when she was dressed like that.

"Like hell you're getting into a cab at three in the morning," I yelled, jumping from the bed and running downstairs in search of my car keys. "Just wait where you are, I'm coming to get you."

"_Yeah, because standing on a nearly deserted sidewalk at three in the morning is so much safer than taking a cab!"_ She sneered._"Just go back to bed Edward."_

She actually had a point there. What would be more dangerous? Having Bella wait for me on a sidewalk with a drunk Alice lying at her feet or having her and Alice take a cab over to our place?

In the end I decided that sticking to my first plan would be best. Alice might be a tiny little thing but Bella would have a hard time getting her in and out of a cab all by herself and knowing what I did about New York cab drivers she didn't have to expect much help from the driver.

I would just have to make my way over to her as fast as I could.

I'm already on my way over to the car," I said, hopefully giving her no room to argue with me as I ran back upstairs. "Where are you?"

"_Wait a minute Edward!"_ she yelled, I could hear she was getting annoyed with me because I wouldn't give in to her stubbornness. _"What if Libby were to wake up and find the whole place empty?" _

"Jasper's staying over," I stated, sending a quiet prayer of thanks up for the fact that we had both forgotten the time and decided Jasper might as well crash in one of the spare bedrooms. "Now will you tell me where the hell you are?"

"_We're at Chaos, it's on Houston Street, near the corner of Essex,"_ She sighed. At least she seemed to have accepted defeat.

I was really glad now that I hadn't let her talk me into taking a cab. From what I remembered Houston street was like a driving parking lot 24 hours a day. There was no way she would be standing there all alone and at the mercy of pimps and bag snatchers like she'd tried to make me believe.

I threw the door to Jaspers bedroom open, letting the light from the landing float into the bedroom. Judging from the grunts he was producing Jasper had no trouble sleeping when his woman was out for a sparsely dressed night on the town.

"Alice got drunk so I'm driving over to pick them up. Would you mind looking after Libby while I'm gone?" I panted.

"Wha..." He groaned, a tuft of hair sticking up from underneath the covers.

"I'm picking up Alice and Bella. Alice got drunk so she can't drive them back," I repeated impatiently. "Will you take care of Libby while I'm away?"

"Sure....." Jasper yawned. I could only hope part of my message had struck home.

"Okay. Gotta run," I said, closing the door and practically running out of the house in my sweats and t-shirt, grabbing my coat to prevent myself from freezing to death.

I jumped into my Volvo, cranking up the heat to the maximum in an effort to chase away the biting cold and sped over to Houston Street as fast as I could, cursing New York traffic that was bad even in the middle of the night.

As I slowed down, nearing the place where Bella told me to pick her up, I could just descry my angel standing on the sidewalk, hoisting up my sister with one arm, while her other was trying to keep her dress – or whatever you would call the thing – from riding up on her thighs. Her hair was disheveled and the dress looked a bit crumpled – probably from the two of them having been in a fight earlier. She had never looked more alluring in her life.

When I pulled up in front of them I noticed how Bella was shivering. In my lust-filled haze I had forgotten to notice she wasn't even wearing a coat. Damn Alice! Not only had she gotten drunk and left Bella to face the drunk and horny men that littered the streets at this time alone, with her hanging over my Bella's shoulder like a dead weight, she had also – once again- let fashion rule over common sense and had forgone a nice, warm coat. It was fine if she wanted to end up in hospital with frostbite and a pneumonia herself, but I would be damned if she let my Bella come to harm.

I also cursed myself. I should have noticed Bella's state of undress when she walked out the house earlier tonight. If I had been thinking with my head instead of with my dick she wouldn't have been cold right now.

Bella looked apologetically as I helped her shove my sister onto the backseat, wrapping her tightly in my coat and rubbing her sides to get her warm.

"I'm so sorry for all of this," she shivered.

"Don't worry about it," I said, helping her into the passenger seat of the now toasty warm car. "I couldn't sleep anyway."

Luckily Alice had entered that state of drunkenness when you could fall asleep against a lamppost and think it's the most comfortable bed in all the world so she wasn't putting up much of a fight. I shoved her into the backseat - making sure no body parts were sticking out – and slammed the door shut.

"If you throw up in the Volvo I'm going to key your car," I warned her before I let her drift off again. I remembered all too well an incident a few years ago when she had gotten drunk, borrowed my car and thrown up all over my pristine upholstery, nearly getting my car impounded by New Yorks finest coming to see what was wrong with her in the process.

I spotted her sticking her tongue out at me in the rear view mirror before she rolled herself up on the back seat and drifted back into sleep. At least she wouldn't be bothering us tonight.

The rest of the drive back was pretty uneventful. Alice had drifted into a deep slumber and the only sounds coming from here where her slight monotonous snores. I would have to remember that little tidbit of information. I might be able to use her snores against her someday.....

Bella appeared to be drifting off as well, something that worried me a little. I had plans for us spending some quality time together after we got home and that kind of involved her to be awake, active and responding.

Much to my relieve she seemed to come back to her senses though as we stopped in front of out home. She helped me carry Alice up the stairs, grabbing her back and making sure none of my tiny sisters appendages would get stuck behind something.

I made sure to be as quiet as I could on the landing. I didn't want to wake Libby up – even though when she slept you could fire a canon next to her head and she still didn't wake up. I knocked on the door to Jaspers room and he opened the door, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Here, I think this belongs to you," I grinned, handing my snoring sister over to him. "Enjoy!"

"Thanks buddy," He yawned looking down at Alice with a look that held a combination of love and amusement.

"She's cute when she's drunk, isn't she?" he grinned.

"Just wait until she starts throwing up...." I replied.

It had taken me some time to get used to the fact that Jasper and my sister were together. Alice had never had real, serious boyfriends like this before. Sure she had had the occasional fling, or a man she had stuck it out with for a few months, a year at most. But I had never seen her like this. There was a connection between the two of them, the same kind of connection there was between Bella and me.

I made my way back to the bedroom, closing the door behind me.

Bella was sitting on the edge of the bed, playing with a strand of her hair. As she saw me walking into the bedroom her expression changed from bored to mischievous, making my breath hitch in my throat and my cock twitch in my pants.

Boy, this was going to be good.

She curled her finger, motioning for me to come over to her. As I neared the bed she got up and placed her tiny hands on my chest, pushing me down onto the mattress.

"Do you know how much I missed you tonight?" she purred in my ear, licking a trail from my ear down my neck.

"I thought you'd be.....distracted," I stammered, Bella taking the lead like this was a dream come true for me.

"Silly Edward," she giggled. "The only thing distracting me was the fact that In couldn't stop thinking of you all evening."

"Good," I croaked, unable to say anything else when she was licking her was down my chest.

She pushed me down onto the bed with one hand while the other yanked my sweatpants and boxers down my leg in one swift motion.

For a moment I wondered what had brought on this sudden streak of self confidence. Then it struck me.

It was the dress.

Perhaps also the shoes and the alcohol.

But most of all the dress.

I was definitely building that alter now.

She knelt down in front of me, her hands inching up my legs in a tortuously slow place. As she neared my raging erection and licked her lips I thought I was going to seriously embarrass myself and come before she had even laid as much as a hand on me. It took everything I had – thoughts about Caius doing a bowel resection – to keep it together.

I felt like I had died and gone to heaven as I finally felt Bella's mouth enclose me. I knew that If I were to look now I would be lost. There was no way I could stand to look at Bella's head, slowly bobbing up and down over my length, the curves of her tight little ass sticking out underneath her dress as she knelt in front of me and still keep it together.

As I felt myself nearing the edge I let out a low guttural moan before releasing inside her mouth. She lapped up every drop, licking me clean, before pulling herself up by placing her hands on my legs.

"You've been a bad, bad boy," she scolded me, the dress shimmering in the faint light that streamed into the bedroom from the street. "You were so wrapped up in your own pleasure that you forgot all about me."

She straddled my waist, the sequins on her dress scratching my hips, the sensation, combined with the low seductive purr of her voice made me instantly hard for her again.

"But....." I manage to squeak.

"Now, what are you going to do about that?" she stated, crossing her arms in front of her chest. It was all the invitation I needed.

She squealed as I flipped her over, her small frame bouncing on the mattress. Before she had the opportunity to steady herself on the mattress I had pulled the dress over her head and tossed it into a corner.

The alter could wait for as much as I loved to see Bella in the dress, Bella without the dress was an even better sight to behold.

She moved to take off her shoes but I stopped her. "Keep them on," I ordered. "I like them."

Her blush covered most of her body and she looked away shyly. How could I ever make her understand what seeing her blush like that did to me? It was like it uncaged the animal in me, the monster that was never satiated until it met it's mate.

The smell of her arousal filled my nose, making my erection painfully hard and testing my control to the limit. It was the sweetest thing I had ever smelled.

It was home.

My home.

My heart's home.

Thought it had nothing on the taste of her.

She moaned as my tongue moved through her slick folds and found her pulsing bundle of nerves. As I let my tongue flick over her clit, I slowly inched two fingers into her wet center moving them in and out of her core slowly, arching my fingers to find her spot.

I let her body guide my actions, her, her moans and the spasms of her arms and legs providing all the clues I needed. I peeked up at her through my lashes. The sight of Bella, writing on the bed, her head arched into the pillow and her face contorted with delight was something I could watch all day. A feeling of pride filled me as I realized that it was because of me that she was writhing. That I was making her feel this way.

As she neared her climax she started pulling at my hair, the pleasurable pain it caused urging me on in my ministrations as her moans started to fill the air.

"Edward...." She panted. "I want you."

I moved my head up from her center and kissed a trail of wet kisses over her stomach to her breasts, freeing them from the lace bra that restrained them on my way, and to her face.

I kissed her deeply as I entered her with one swift motion, moaning into her mouth as I felt her slick warm center welcome me home. She embraced me with her warmth, her tight walls pulling me even further into her, onto the brink of pleasure and insanity.

She started writhing underneath me as I slowly moved in and out of her. "Edward....Faster," she panted, a request I was all to happy to comply with.

She was so tight. So wet. So warm. I had thought – feared – that I would get used to the sensation of the two of us joined in this way. However, not even after all the times we had sex had it become common or routine. Every time was special.

Not ever had a woman made me feel like this before, even though I had had my fair share of them in my day. I knew now that I had been foolish to think that all that meaningless fucking could ever give me pleasure, apart from the short lived bliss of an orgasm. Sex with love was so much better. So much more powerful. I never wanted anything else. I never wanted anyone else.

As we moved together, sprinting towards our mutual bliss she wrapped her legs around my waist and the feeling of her legs, tightening around my waist in an effort to pulled me even deeper inside of her, the tips of her stiletto's pricking into my ass. The pained, combined with the noises Bella was making was enough to make me come undone and explode inside of her.

"Bella," I panted, as I crashed down on her chest, utterly spend. "That was amazing."

"Mind blowing," she gasped.

"I love you," I said, as I kissed her softly, flipping us over so she could rest on my chest. I didn't want to crush her with my weight.

"I love you more," she mumbled. I could hear she was just about to drift off into sleep.

"Impossible," I chuckled, kissing the top of her head.

--

BPOV

--

I awoke the next morning to the sound of the phone next to the bed ringing. Not exactly the kind of wakeup I was hoping for considering the fact that I was currently naked and in bed next to an equally naked Edward.

"Hello?" I croaked.

"Good morning sleepy head!" Rose's voice sang. "How was your night? Was it as good as mine?"

"Rosalie Hale," I yawned looking at the alarm clock. "Do you know what fucking time it is?"

"Time to get your lazy ass out of bed, or unwrap your legs from Edwards waist or whatever you were doing when I called and come over to my apartment, we're starting our ladies night in half an hour and I have yet to reach Alice," she explained.

"The thing about Ladies Night is that it's supposed to be happening AT NIGHT!" I yelled, awaking Edward who looked at me confused through sleepy eyes.

"Yeah, well.....we'll do the movie and popcorn thing this night but I thought it would be nice to get pampered before that."

"If you mean that you're dragging me off to the Spa again then I am going to need at least one mug of strong black coffee to prepare myself first. You can expect me in two hours," I growled. I had been expecting makeovers and waxes in the build up to the wedding but the reality of ir, especially when it's sprung on you before ten in the morning, still made me grumpy.

"But........" Rose protested.

"That's final," I spat. "You're either going to see me in two hours or I'm not coming at all!"

"Fine," she snarled. "But you're calling Alice!" She broke off after that.

"What was all that about?" Edward yawned, wrapping one of his arms around my waist and pulling me back under the blankets.

"It was Rose,"I explained, snuggling into his chest. "Apparently she thinks that just because I agreed to be her bridesmaid she gets to run my life."

"I thought I heard something about the spa?" he murmured against my hair.

"Yup, she's dragging the lot of us off for a whole day of torture," I replied.

He chuckled.

"What?" I asked, looking up at him.

"I'm just imagining Libby running around at the spa. With what you told me about those wrappings I think the spa-people are going to have their hands full!" He explained, kissing a trail from my forehead to my lips as he spoke.

I laughed back. "As much as I love to see that, I think they have a daycare center over there. She'll get her own, child friendly makeover."

"She'll love that," he chuckled.

"I bet she will," I said, kissing his chest as his hands moved up and down my sides. "Speaking of Libby......I'm amazed she isn't up yet." Usually Libby was up at the crack of dawn and, not being one to wait patiently, woke us up pretty soon as well.

"I think she's with Alice," Edward purred, rolling us over, his hands wandering from my sides to my breasts.

"I would have thought her to still be out for the count after all the cocktails she had last night," I giggled as Edwards tongue darted over my tout peaks.

"Oh, Alice can go to bed completely wasted at three AM and still be up at six o clock sharp the next day," Edward hummed against my skin, sending pleasurable trembles through my body.

One of his hands started to travel further down, making me squirm underneath him in anticipation. My excitement was soon crushed however when I heard two pairs of feet stumble up the stairs.

Edward must have heard them as well because he sighed and rolled onto his back next to me again, pulling the sheets up so we were both covered. "We will finish this later," he whispered, licking my earlobe. I quickly reached beside the bed and grabbed Edwards t-shirt, pulling it over my head. At least it covered the basics.

I was just beginning to explain that in about an hour and a half I would be dragged off to Rose's apartment for twenty four hours of male-free entertainment followed by a wedding and a reception when Alice's voice drifted through the door.

"I hope you both have your privates covered because I'm coming in!" Alice yelled, before throwing the door open and dancing into our bedroom, two steaming mugs of coffee covering her eyes.

"Is it safe to look yet?" she asked, standing in front of the bed.

"Mommy?" Libby asked, waltzing after Alice. "What are privates?"

"It's safe," Edward chuckled.

Alice slowly lowered the mugs, looking like she half expected us to be in some kind of compromising position against a bedpost even though Edward told her we weren't and our kid was currently standing next to her.

"You really have to start trusting your brother more," I teased her. "If it wasn't for him we'd still be lying on some godforsaken sidewalk downtown with our asses hanging out of our dresses!"

"That was real?" she chuckled.

"Yup," I replied. "And for the record: next time you're calling _your_ boyfriend and not mine!"

"Gah," she growled. "I'm not drinking next time."

"Sore head?" Edward asked a little loudly.

"Shut up!" she glared, clutching her temples.

"Oh, Rose called," I added. "She wants us in her apartment for some girl time in two hours."

It was all it took make make Alice's face light up like the sky on a clear day. "Then what the hell are we still doing here?" she shrieked, setting the two mugs down on the nightstand. "We've got to get you ready and you haven't even showered!"

She started to pull at my arm before I kindly reminded her that I was still almost naked and had no intention of informing Libby about what naked people do in bed.

She blushed, grabbed Libby by the arm and practically running out of the room. She turned around when she reached the door.

"Edward," she stated, her hand resting firmly on her hip. "If I don't have Bella downstairs and ready for breakfast in twenty minutes I'm coming to get her myself!" With that she stormed out of the room, getting everything ready for Libby.

I sighed, reaching for my mug while making a mental list of the things I needed to pack for my slumber party at Rose's. Luckily Rose had insisted that all wedding stuff should be safely stored at her place, including the underwear Alice had picked for me to wear under my bridesmaids dress. It limited my luggage to toiletries and some comfy clothes to wear to our night of chick flicks and ungodly amounts of chocolate.

"I'll miss you tonight," I said scurrying about the room to collect my things and pile them into an overnight bag as Edward watched me from the bed.

"Why don't I give you a little something to remember me by?" he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"And have Alice and Libby walk in on us?:" I laughed. "I think not!"

"The bathroom has a lock......." he grinned mischievously.

"I like how you're thinking," I said, pulling his shirt over my head and throwing it into a corner before I stepped into our en suite.

One shared shower later we both stepped into the kitchen, almost twenty minutes to the dot after Alice had left our bedrooms.

"You two seem to be much happier than before!" Alice smirked, holding another mug of coffee out for me. "Had a nice shower?"

I blushed and tried to hide my face in the mug.

"We had a very nice shower, thank you sister dear!" Edward sang, piling some of the scrambled eggs and bacon Alice had made on a plate.

"Well don't get used to it!" she giggled. "Tonight you'll be sharing a bed with Jasper and I don't want my boyfriend back traumatized because you tried to put the moves on him!"

We both laughed out loud at both Edward and Jaspers horrified expressions.

"I was only joking you idiots!" Alice hiccuped. "You'll be sleeping in separate rooms anyway, so there is no danger of your penises accidentally or intentionally touching!"

"Alice, angel, love of my life, will you please stop with the innuendo here?" Jasper pleaded while I almost choked on a piece of bacon. "Some people are trying to eat breakfast."

"Okay my lover," Alice crooned, sliding into his lap.

They exchanged a look that made me turn my face away, not wanting to intrude on their little moment. Instead I focused on scarfing down my breakfast. We only had a little time to go until Rose was expecting us and between Alice getting ready and Libby being safely installed in the Porsche I knew it would take us some time to leave the house.

"We've got to go," I announced. Libby and Alice both squealing and running upstairs to collect their things.

"Please just make me say," I whined as soon as they left.

"I wish I could, Edward sighed, pulling me onto his lap. "I know I won't be getting any sleep without you tonight."

"Perhaps you should follow Alice's plan and slide into bed next to Jasper then," I chuckled.

"Perhaps I should," he laughed, kissing me thoroughly before he handed me over to Alice, who had returned to the kitchen and was standing next to us, tapping her foot impatiently.

"It's not like she's going into outer space Edward!' she said, rolling her eyes. "She's only going to be a few blocks away."

We ignored her and I leaned in for another quick kiss before I let Alice pull me away.

"Good luck at work," I just about manage to yell before Alice dragged me out of the door and stuffed me into the car.

I thought I heard him yell something about having fun, but I couldn't be sure.

"I sure hope Leah isn't going to be there today," I sighed. I hadn't thought about her until that moment.

"What happened between the two of you?" Alice asked. "I remember you looking at her like you couldn't decide whether to just kill her or torture her first and then kill her."

I sneaked a peak at Libby who was sitting in the back. Luckily she was too engrossed in her own little world to notice anything around her. "She was the one who spoke to Edward on the phone, that first time he called," I stated, knowing Alice would understand.

"She's dead," Alice hissed, not taking her eyes off the road. Once again I was amazed how someone so small could be so scary.

"My thoughts exactly," I replied. "I told her to keep the hell away from me and my family or I wouldn't be held accountable."

"So did you tell Edward?" she asked.

"No," I said, shaking my head. Other than the fact it kind of slipped my mind last night I didn't know if telling him would be the right thing to do. "I don't know Alice. He has come so far in letting go of all the fear and self loathing. I don't know if telling him won't bring all of that back."

"Hmm, that _is_ a tough dilemma," Alice mused. "I don't know......I think you may be right."

We pulled up in front of Emmett and Rose's building, Emmett just loading and overnight bag and three bags filled with little Charlie's stuff into his Jeep. He would be staying at our place until the wedding tomorrow. Rose had declared her home to be a penis-free zone until after the wedding.

Luckily Leah had had the good grace – or common sense – to excuse herself, as had Renee. I knew the reason behind my mother's absence probably had something to do with the fact that Phill was due to arrive at La Guardia in little over an hour. She probably just wanted to spend some time with him.

The pampering session was the usual line-up of being prodded, plucked and squeezed all over instead that this time I was teamed up with Rose, who made it her job to make sure I was prodded, plucked and squeezed in all the right spaces so that I would look fabulous tomorrow.

When we were done – even Libby had had a manicure, pedicure and a facial mask – we drove back to Rose's apartment and dragged every available mattress, pillow and duvet to the living room for an old fashioned slumber party.

"What movies did you pick auntie Rose?" Libby asked while we were setting everything up. She looked adorably in her pink Tigger pajama's

"I thought it would be nice if everyone picked a movie of their choice," Rose said. "That way everyone will get to see at least one movie they like."

"Excellent idea!" Alice squealed, dropping the huge bowl of popcorn she had been carrying on the table before hopping over to the entertainment center to pick her selection from the enormous stack of DVD's Rose and Emmett had assembled over the years, Libby hot on her heals.

"What do you want to see, princess?" she asked Libby.

"_The Incredibles_!" Libby yelled, hopping up and down like a cheerleader.

"Good choice," Alice praised, surveying the titles. Finally her eyes lit up and she stood on tiptoe to pull her own choice from the shelf.

"_The Devil Wears Prada_!" I snorted. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"You should be the one to talk!" Alice huffed, pointing towards the movie I was holding. "Like it isn't totally predictable that you'd pick a movie that had Jane Austen in it."

_Becoming Jane_ was one of my favorites. I had seen it with Rose some time ago and we had both been reduced to blubbering messes in the end.

"What did you pick?" Heidi asked Rose.

"_Charlie's Angels_," Rose said, holding up the box. "I figured that since most of you would go for the sappier genre's we'd be in need of some serious ass kicking action somewhere during the night. And you?"

She held up her selection, _Stardust_. Another one of my favorites. This was promising to be a good night.

"How often have you seen that movie?" Rose giggled. It was common knowledge that Heidi almost had an obsession with it.

"Don't know," she mused. "But I don't think I'll ever get enough of Robert de Niro dancing the Cancan in a pink tutu."

"Let's watch us some movies!" Alice giggled, pulling Libby onto her lap. They looked so much alike, the two of them. It was almost scary.

Watching _the Incredibles _for the umpteenth time I started to notice some uncanny similarities between Alice and Edna Mode. The way she stood, hand on hip, criticizing Helen's fashion sense was almost eerie.

When I looked over at Rose and saw her face mirroring mine we both couldn't hold back our giggles.

"What?" Alice glowered. "So we look alike. Big deal! She kicks ass!" It mustn't have been the first time someone noticed the similarities.

"Edna Mode is my favorite," Libby soothed.

"She's mine as well," Alice grumbled, scooping up another handful of chocolate raisins. "Just you wait until we're watching _The Devil Wears Prada_! I've noticed a few similarities there as well!"

"As have I!" I retorted, thinking about how Alice channeled some Miranda Priestly some times as well.

Libby dozed off somewhere during _The Devil Wears Prada_. No amount of pretty dresses and evil bosses had been enough to keep her up. I gently moved her to the side, covering her with blankets to keep her warm.

"She's so adorable," Alice said, looking at her over my shoulder. "You really did good there."

"I only did half the work," I sighed, not taking my eyes of my sleeping daughter. "Edward supplied the good genes."

"That's not what I meant Bella," Alice replied, leaning back again.

I turned and scooted back to where I had been sitting before. "What do you mean?"

"They way you brought her up all on your own," Alice said. "You really did an amazing job considering the stuff you had to go through."

"It's nothing," I shrugged. "I just did what had to be done."

"No Bella, for once in your life just accept credit where credit is due," Rose said, joining in our conversation. "Alice is right. You did a good job. I don't know what I'd do if I had to bring up Charlie all on my own."

"Run to me for help?" I snorted.

"Probably," she laughed, flinging a pillow at my head.

We went to watching the movie again after that, sitting huddled up together under one of the blankets. Heidi left after we'd watched _Stardust,_ claiming that after all the Charlie Cox and Robert de Niro hotness she really needed some happy times with Felix or she'd pounce on one of us.

"I'm really glad I've found the two of you," Alice whispered after a while.

"So am I," I nodded, leaning a bit more towards the two of them.

"And I," Rose sighed. "I never thought I'd have girlfriends but here I am getting revoltingly cozy with the two best friends in the world. What the hell brought all this on?"

"Must have been the chocolate!" I laughed, punching her lightly in the ribs.

I dozed off shortly after that, comfortable in the shelter of my new family. My true family.

--

EPOV

--

I had given up on getting any sleep tonight some time ago. Not that I hadn't tried. I had gotten off work somewhere around midnight after a particularly gruesome shift at the hospital.

Holidays were always a busy time for us. People would trip on slippery roofs, hanging up Christmas decorations or slice open an appendage while working on the perfect dinner. Not to mention the increase in domestic violence that appeared whenever people where thrown into each other's company for a long time or, as Caius put it: 'There's nothing quite like the warm fuzzy feeling of the Christmas holidays that brings out the inner ax murderer.'

Of course I knew the reason of my insomnia all to well. It was the fact that the other half of the bed was empty. Rose had insisted that since she wasn't getting any tonight, none of the other women in her bridal party would be getting any either.

To add more weight to her argument she had stated that she needed Bella to be over at her apartment bright and early in the morning to get her ready. I wondered why, since the wedding itself wouldn't be until late in the afternoon, but I had learned many years ago that it was never a good idea to question the amount of time women reserved for primping.

I was shaken from my thoughts by a soft knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I called, not wanting to get up.

"It's me," I heard Emmett mutter. Emmett, Charlie and Jasper where staying over since Emmett had been kicked out of his apartment by Rose and we had decided to spend Emmett's last night drinking beer and playing poker.

"Come in, it's open," I replied, wondering what brought Emmett to come over here in the middle of the night.

When Emmett walked in he strangely reminded me of Libby when she had had a nightmare. His shoulders where scrunched up, his face turned to the floor and he was walking almost cautiously. He looked like a scared little boy.

A very big scared little boy.

"What's up?" I asked, trying to prevent myself from laughing out loud.

"Can't sleep," He shrugged. I half expected him to ask if he could sleep in my bed tonight. That would just be wrong on so many levels the thought almost made me shudder.

"Why not?"

"I'm having some.....trouble," he stated. There was obviously something on his mind.

"Cold Feet?" I asked.

"Nah man. I can't wait to marry my Rosie. It's just.......I haven't written my vows yet." Emmett explained.

"Don't you think it's about time you did?" I snorted. "The wedding is tomorrow!"

"Don't remind me," he replied, looking defeated. "I've tried. It's just that I'm not good at all the gooey romantic stuff. Every time I sit down and try to write something it just comes out all wrong. I know how important this wedding is for Rosie and I don't want to screw it up by saying the wrong thing. I think I need some help."

"I'll help you," I sighed. If I wasn't going to be getting any sleep tonight I might as well spend my time doing something useful. "Do you mind if we take this downstairs? I feel kind of weird discussing this in the bedroom."

"Yeah," Emmett snorted, looking very relieved.

"So....what have you got?" I asked as we sat down in the living room.

"Uhm......nothing," Emmett replied, hanging his head in shame. "I just don't know where to start."

"How about you just tell her how you feel about her?" I said.

"I've tried that, but somehow every time I do it ends up being kind of...........x-rated."

"How about you tell me how you feel about Rose and I'll see if we can work with that." I offered.

Emmett thought long and hard before telling me their entire story. In the end we came up with something that was appropriate for a church wedding and still sounded like Emmett.

I went back to bed after that and actually managed to get some sleep before waking up at eleven in the morning to tidy the house and get ready for the wedding.

We all gathered at my house before driving over to the church. Renee was fighting with Emmett's tie as the stretched town cars that would take us to the church pulled up in front of my home.

I still didn't like Renee – no, I didn't trust her – though she had proved to us that she wasn't the same kind of woman that had turned her pregnant and deserted daughter out of the house. I don't think I could ever forgive her for it, as I could never forgive myself for abandoning Bella either. The fact that she was around Bella and Libby so much nowadays made me a bit uneasy.

I knew Bella and her mother had been making some progress. Bella was still as cautious around Renee as she was in the beginning but I could see she wanted to have some kind of bond with her mom. She had missed that during their years apart.

Though I didn't want to stand in between Bella and her mother I was glad to know that she was leaving for Phoenix again tonight to spend the holiday with Phil. After everything that had gone on during the last few weeks I thought we deserved a quiet Christmas with just the three of us.

We would be flying out to Chicago with Jasper and Alice the day after tomorrow to spend New Year's at my parents. It would be nice to have a little change of scenery and society and I had made some very special plans for our little getaway.

The thought of those special plans was the only thing that had made me stick to the promise Bella had tricked me into making. She had said that since I already spend so much money on the house I was banned from spending any money on a Christmas present for her. Spending money on Libby would be fair game as long as I didn't spend a penny on her.

Being barred from expressing my love and devotion to her in financial means had forced me to be more creative and I was really pleased with the end result, though the thought of having to show it to her tomorrow made me more nervous than Emmett was right now.

From the moment I first set eyes on her Bella had been my inspiration, the melody that set the rhythm for my life. She had inspired little bits of composition from the first time she had slept in my arms five years ago an now I had started to work those little snippets into a song – a lullaby – that would hopefully express the depth of my feelings for her.

We made our way over to St. Bartholomew's Church. The whole place was decorated with roses and red ribbons – the colors Rose had selected for the wedding. We were greeted outside by a herd of photographers – attracted to all of Rose's fashion friend that would be in attendance – and a small crowd of onlookers.

I was beginning to feel sorry for Emmett as we waited for the bridal party to arrive. From my seat at the front of the church I could see he was a nervous wreck, reciting the words to his wedding vows so that he wouldn't forget them at the supreme moment.

Finally the orchestra started playing heralding the arrival of the bride. Libby was the first one to enter the church, skipping along the isle in her pretty red and white dress whilst scattering white and red rose petals around her from a basket swinging from one of her arms.

She winked and grinned at me as she danced passed me. I smiled and waved back. I knew how much Libby had been looking forward to this, almost as much as her mother had been dreading this moment.

Bella was the next person to enter into the church and when I first laid eyes on her I couldn't help but gasp. She looked amazing, like a goddess, in her red floor length gown. Her hair hand been arranged in soft curls arranged in a style similar to the one she had been sporting at the Christmas ball. In stead of gold ribbons her hair was tied back with a red ribbon this time, with tiny jewels glistening in between the tresses.

The way she walked down the isle, a look of pure concentration and determination on her face made her look even more alluring to me than ever and I felt my heart soar at the thought that she was mine.

She let out a small sigh of relieve when she reached the end of the isle, taking her place near the altar opposite Emmett. I could see the two of them exchanging reassuring smiled right before the orchestra started playing Mendelssohn's Wedding March.

_**So the next chapter will have the wedding, the party and Christmas Day in it (a lot, I know). Is everybody anxious to see how Emmett will deal with the stress?**_

_**I managed to sneak most of my favorite movies into this chapter (plus the one that inspired my next story).**_

_**This chapter had my first lemon from a male perspective in it. I found it very hard to write (no pun intended) since I am – very much – a woman. I don't know what goes on in a man's head (and sometimes I really don't want to know. I hope I did an okay job none the less.**_

_**Please review. **_


	29. The gift of love

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**There are links to the dresses that Rose, Bella and Libby are wearing in this chapter on my profile.**_

**The gift of love.**

I was awoken the next morning by Rose, pulling at my arm.

"Bella! Wake up! I'm getting married today!" she screamed in my ear.

"Congratulations Rosalie," I groaned, trying to hide under a pillow. "But do you have to wake me up at stupid o clock to tell me that?"

"No silly!" Libby yelled in my other ear. "We have to get ready!"

I was getting flashbacks from the Christmas ball, but instead of one hyperactive fashionista, I was currently surrounded by three of them.

Or......just the two.

What happened to Alice?

"Here you go," the pixie said, handing me a mug of steaming liquid perfection.

"I love you," I sighed, letting the hot coffee glide down my throat.

"I think you're picturing the wrong Cullen in front of you," she giggled.

"Bella, get your pretty butt off the floor and join us in the kitchen," Rose yelled from the room next door. "It's time we devised a plan of attack."

Dear lord! Rose was already acting like Napoleon getting ready to invade Russia and it wasn't even midday yet. I could only imagine how she was going to act later on.

"So, Christina and Betty are coming over in half an hour to do my hair and make-up," she started. I half expected her to use a flip-over to draw up her plans for today. "Bella, you and Alice can set up in the guest bedroom. Alice will work on your hair and make-up first before she does Libby," she pointed her finger at each of us when she spoke our names. I realized she would have made a great – if not scary – teacher.

"As soon as Alice is done with you, you will report back to me," Rose finished. "I want to see the end result and I imagine that by the time you're done I will be in need of some Bella pep talk."

"Aye aye captain!" Alice and I both saluted.

I grabbed two bowls of cereal for Libby and me, figuring that since we would have half and hour before all hell broke loose we might as well spend that hour having a nice and quiet breakfast.

Rose had other plans.

She had been running around the house like a raving lunatic, popping her head into the kitchen from time to time to yell about something that was certain to go wrong.

"Rose honey, please sit down and have some breakfast," I tried to calm her.

"Are you nuts?" she shrieked, nearly garroting Alice with the pantyhose she was waving around, testing them for runs. "If I eat now I'll throw up. Or not fit in my dress."

"Then please just sit down," I offered, "before you get so worked up you'll have a heart attack even before you reach the isle."

She looked at me like I'd just grown a second ass.

"She's right Rose," Alice chimed in. "You need to relax. Everything is being taken care of. Just enjoy you big day."

Even Libby did her best to calm her aunt down, sitting on her lap whilst spooning up to eat her cereal to keep Rose from moving. Between the three of us we had just about managed to calm her down when the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of Rose's beauty team.

Rose had called in quite a few favors from people at the magazine for her wedding and I guess organizing an event such as this would be a lot easier when you knew just who to call. Christina and Betty were actually the magazines regular makeup artist and hairstylist and even though they normally didn't do private gigs – they only came out of bed for major fashion shows and shoots with super models – they were very happy to make an exception for Rose. After all, my soon to be sister in law had been a super model not so long ago.

Rose quickly disappeared into her bedroom with her own fashion team while Alice and I cleaned up the breakfast things and the mess in the living room before making our way to the guest bedroom.

"Let's get you in the shower first," Alice said, opening up the suitcase that held her beauty products. "Make sure to use these things," she said, throwing a few bottles at me, "it will make things just a little easier for me."

I almost felt the need to apologize on behalf of my hair. "In which order do I use them?" I noticed the instructions on the bottles were all in French, a language I hadn't been able to read since I left highschool and even then it would have been a stretch to make any sense of it.

"Use the smallest one first, then the larger one and finally, when you're done in the shower the oddly shaped one," she explained, without looking up from her work.

"Thanks!" I said before taking a nice hot shower. The products Alice had handed me didn't smell as nice as my usual, strawberry scented, shampoo but I could see they did the trick. As soon as I used the last bottle, a look in the mirror told me my hair was actually behaving itself for a chance.

I walked into the bedroom, still marveling at the sight of my tamed manes. Alice stood next to the vanity, pointing at the seat in front of it.

"Sit," she grinned, patting the seat of the chair.

"I'm not a dog, Alice!' I scowled. Taking a seat none the less. I had found it was best to cooperate with Alice when it came to her hostile makeovers. It made the whole experience just a little more pleasant.

"So how are you enjoying your holiday so far?" Alice asked, carefully pulling a comb through my hair. It almost felt like I was in a real salon.

"What holiday?" I chuckled. Thus far I had only been at home for just one day since my Christmas holiday started.

"You've got me on that one," she laughed with me. "Are you excited to go over to Chicago with us?"

"Very," I admitted. "I've never been there though I've heard a lot of things about the city. And apart from that I'm curious to see where Edward grew up. He hardly ever talks about his childhood."

"He's still in denial," Alice nodded, understanding the meaning behind my words. "It's his way of coping with things.....It doesn't mean he doesn't care about his birth parents, just that by not thinking about them and getting as far away from the memories as possible it won't hurt as much."

"He only mentioned them once, back when we were in Florida," I said, looking at Alice's face through the mirror. "I wonder what they were like."

"As much as I love to tell you about them, I don't think it really is my place," Alice said, her face clouding. "Give Edward some time. I think he'll come to you and tell you about them when he is ready."

I nodded. "I just hope that being back won't be too difficult on him."

"He's a grown man," Alice snorted. "It's time he faced up to his past."

"So how are things between you and Jasper?" I asked, changing to a happier subject.

"Everything is just great," Alice squealed, waving the curling iron a little too close to my face for comfort. "I know we are only just getting to know each other but I just know he's the one. I knew it the moment I first met him."

"Yeah, I kind of picked up on that," I laughed. She had told me her version of that night over and over again, gushing about how she knew he was the man that she was going to marry one day from the moment she set eyes on him.

"He's just so perfect," she gushed and I had to fight the urge not to snort. I had known Jasper for some years now and so I knew that he was anything but perfect. "He always knows exactly what to say and do at exactly the right moment. It's almost like he can look into my soul. Feel what I feel. You know?"

"You've got it bad Alice!" I chuckled.

To my surprise she blushed. "I guess I do," she admitted. "I've never felt about anyone like I feel about Jasper. He makes me want to be a better person."

"Alice! Surely you don't think you don't deserve him?" I cried out as she weaved a red ribbon through my curled hair.

"It's just that he's so smart and educated," she sighed. "He never makes me feel stupid or anything – quite the opposite in fact – but sometimes it just makes me wish I had listened to my dad and gone to law school or something."

"Alice," I said, turning around so that I could take her hands. "Jasper loves you just the way you are. The greatest gift you could give him is to remain yourself."

"I know," she said, clipping some rose-shaped jewels in my hair. "And anyways, why is the inferiority complex pot calling the kettle black?" She playfully swatted my back. "I know all about your issues missy!"

We chatted some more about Libby and the men in our lives while she helped me get ready.

"There," she said, taking a step backwards as she fastened the zipper on my dress. "You look just perfect."

I turned to take a look in the mirror and had to admit Alice had a point. My hair was done up in much the same style as it had been at the Christmas ball but with the added effect of shimmering gemstones, clipped in between the curly tresses.

The dress was amazing – if not a little cold for the time of the year – and it clung to every curve of my body with a perfection that amazed me. The fabric itself felt like water cascading around my body. It was so light and wavy it almost felt like I wasn't wearing any clothes at all.

Alice had managed to keep my makeup light, just highlighting my eyes and adding only a slightly shiny layer of gloss to my lips. I think she had learned from her experience at the bachelorette party.

After some time I noticed the goosebumps starting to appear on my arms, reminding me again of the time of the year. I could only hope the church and the wedding venue were properly heated or I would be spending most of my holiday in bed with pneumonia.

"You like it," Alice purred, watching my reaction through the reflection in the mirror.

"Yes, very much so," I admitted. "You've really outdone yourself. Thanks!"

"I'm just glad to be able to help you," she said, handing me my woolen vest. "Now can you send in Libby before you go over to Rose? I'll set up everything for her over here."

"Will do," I said, saluting before I walked back into the living room

"Libby sweetheart?" I asked, watching my little girl who was currently glued to the tv-screen. "Can you pry yourself away from _Dora the Explorer_ for a bit? Aunt Alice is ready for you."

She squealed, dashing past me and into the guest bedroom without even acknowledging me. There were few things she liked more than _Dora the Explorer _and one of that was Alice's makeovers.

"I love you too, honey," I yelled after her, laughing as I made my way to Rose and her team of psycho fashionista's.

Rose was pacing around the room in her dressing gown, tapping her hand against her lips in a desperate attempt not to bite her nails. It seemed like the fashion nazi's had completed their task for now.

"Oh Bella, thank God you're here!" she sighed, grabbing me into a tight hold, while angling her head away to protect her hair and makeup. "I'm nearing a nervous breakdown!"

"Why the hell is that?" I asked. I don't think I'd ever seen Rose this nervous. She hadn't even looked like this when she had been alone and in labor.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "It's not like I don't hate being all vulnerable and sappy like this. It's just that I can't stop thinking about things that can go wrong."

"What are you most afraid of?" I asked. I had learned that making list and methodically addressing each and every problem really helped in these kinds of situations.

"I'm afraid I won't fit in my dress, someone screwed up with the decorations, none of the guests will show up, Emmett will say something totally embarrassing or change his mind....." she rattled off.

"That's quite a list," I chuckled. "Let's just go through it one by one shall we?"

Rose nodded, tapping her fingers against her lips again.

"You'll fit your dress," I started. "It fitted like a glove when you tried it one yesterday and even though you ate quite a few chocolate raisins last night I don't think those will have made you outgrow the thing overnight."

She sighed, looking at the garment bag hanging on the door to her walk in wardrobe.

"You checked over the decorations how many times again?" I asked.

"I don't know," she mused. "At least three times yesterday....." I remembered her sneaking off to check on how things were progressing at the church and the reception venue quite a bit more than three times but decided to let that one slide.

"So you know they can't have screwed up with that. And even if you didn't check the work....you know those people are way too scared of you to mess things up," I added.

She smiled smugly.

"And as for Emmett," I concluded. "Even he knows when an occasion calls for seriousness. He would never embarrass you like that."

"Thanks Bella," she said, looking much more like herself. "I really needed that."

"No thanks needed," I reassured her. "Oh and Rose?"

"Yes?"

"If you ever dare to suggest my brother would walk out on you again I'll slap you so hard you'll be breathing out of a hose," I warned.

She blinked a few times, no doubt not suspecting anything like that coming from me. "Jeez Bella," she finally laughed. "I never figured you for the overprotective sister type. See how much benefit you reap from spending a little time with Alice and me?"

"Quite," I laughed. "By the way, when will your parents be arriving?"

"In an hour or so," she said dismissively. Rose had never been close with her parents. They had been the stereotypical rich and superficial parents, shipping their daughter off to expensive boarding schools at a young age and caring more about her beautiful appearance then about what was going on inside her head.

Their relationship had take a blow because of the affair with Royce King. Apparently he had been some kind of local hot shot and her parents had wanted to hush up the fact that he and his lowlife little friends had attacked and assaulted their girl.

Rose had let them know in no uncertain terms that that was not the way to act in such a situation and had moved out of her parents house that same night, arriving in New York the next day with a shattered self esteem and a will to fight. Within two days she had landed herself a modeling contract with one of the biggest firms in the business, a room in a models apartment on Manhattan and a membership of a martial arts studio.

They had restored contact again after some time had passed though it remained restricted to occasional phone calls, birthday cards and visits on special occasions. Rose had joked that nothing much had changed since she had been a child.

The next hour or so was spend helping Rose into her dress and fastening the elaborate veil to her head in way that it could wither a hurricane and still be attached to her scalp.

When she finally emerged from the bedroom she looked even more beautiful than she had ever looked. I was certain at that moment that she must be the most beautiful woman on the planet.

"You look so pretty," Libby gushed, taking a little step towards her aunt.

"Thanks sweetie," Rose smiled, leaning down carefully to brush her hands trough Libby's curls.. "You don't look so bad yourself!"

She was right. Libby looked even more adorable than she usually did in her red and white dress. The corkscrew curls Alice ad winded into her hair made her look like one of those little angels in a nativity scene.

"Let's just get this show on the road, shall we?" Rose sighed, much to the dismay of mr. and mrs. Hale standing a little to the back. They looked pretty much like Rose had described them to me: cold and calculative. Better pleased with themselves than with the things they saw.

"Let's," Alice grinned, opening the door to lead the way to the vintage white Rolls Royce s that were waiting for us in front of the apartment.

Sammy dipped his head, touching the rim of his hat when we walked past him. "Good luck ms. Hale," he said, opening the door for us.

"Why isn't Sammy coming with us?" Libby asked, as we sat down in the second car.

"Sammy has to work today," I explained.

"That's sad," Libby replied, waving at Sammy who was watching us drive away. "I'm sure he would have loved to come to the party."

"I'm sure he would sweetie."

I felt my nerves increase as we neared the church. I had been preoccupied with getting ready and helping Rose out but now that we were on our way to the actual wedding all of my own horror scenarios for this day had moved to the forefront again.

"What's wrong mommy?" Libby asked, picking up on my nervousness.

"Nothing sweetie," I soothed. "I'm just a little nervous about walking down the isle in a second."

"You're not going to trip," she stated matter of factly.

"What makes you so certain about that?" I wondered, noticing Alice's amused smirk.

"Daddy's there," she said. "And you never fall when daddy is around."

"That's because he's usually standing beside me to catch me before I fall," I snorted. "He won't be there to save me today though." A mental image of Edward, pushing through the pews to save me from humiliation flashing before my eyes as I said it.

"We're here!" Alice squealed. "I'll just take my seat with Edward and Jasper. Don't worry Bella, you'll do great!" She kissed my cheek, patted Libby's head and off she went, skipping into the church.

I quickly exited the car and helped Rose maneuver her way into the little waiting room by the main entrance, the flashes of a couple of camera's blinding me as we walked in. Great! Just what I needed. Yet another thing to endanger my balance!

All too soon I hear the orchestra, tucked away on the balcony, start to play and it was Libby's turn to enter the church. I peeked through a crack in the door as she happily skipped along the isle, scattering white and red rose petals all around her to the general delight of the wedding guests.

"How do I look?" Rose asked, as the master of ceremonies came to get me.

"You look great Rose," I assured her. "Emmett is going to die when he sees you."

"As long as he say his 'I do' first," she muttered under her breath.

"Wish me luck," I sighed, making my way to the huge doors.

"Aren't you supposed to say that to me?" she grinned.

"Of the two of us, who is more likely to fall flat on her face?" I asked.

Rose snorted.

"I rest my case," I laughed, taking in a huge breath before concentrating on the isle ahead.

The door opened and people stared, making it even more difficult for me to keep myself from blushing too obviously and concentrate on making it to the other side of the church unscathed instead of hiding behind a strand of hair.

As I walked cautiously down the isle I couldn't stop myself from scanning the crown, hoping to catch a glimpse of Edward.

Finally, when I had almost reached my destination, our eyes locked.

Green and brown.

And for a minute or two the rest of the world disappeared.

I could almost picture myself in the white dress, walking towards Edward on our wedding day.

Wait a minute? Where did that come from?

I wasn't the kind of girl for holy matrimony.

Or was I?

Then the spell was broken as I reached the front of the church and had to use all of my concentration again to make it up the little steps. I let out a little sigh – much to my brothers amusement – as I made it up. I had managed to complete my task without doing something embarrassing. Now that I was in the safe I stole a few glances around me.

The church looked amazing. The high vaulted ceiling and the stained glass windows gave the place a grandeur that fitted Rose perfectly and the roses and ribbons used to decorate the place only added to the general feeling of opulence and class.

I smiled at my brother who was standing on the other side o the isle. He looked so nervous, almost like he thought Rose was going to back out at the last minute.

Little did he know.

I had only ever seen Emmett speechless a few times before – even after Rose had just given birth to Charlie he had been able to make some kind of funny comeback – but when his future wife strode down the isle on the arm of her father he seemed completely dumbstruck.

She looked amazing, I had to admit. She had wasted no time in shedding her pregnancy weight and the beautiful strapless mermaid gown she was wearing accentuated every part of her body but it was her face – her eyes in particular – that made her more beautiful than she had ever been. In her modeling days Rose had been known for her fierceness. In every picture she had exuded strength like some kind of untouchable ice maiden. As she walked towards my brother I could see the tenderness and love that lay underneath that.

Emmett looked like a lovesick puppy all through the ceremony and I don't think he even heard a single word the minister was saying. My suspicions were confirmed when Rose had to nudge him in the ribs because he didn't hear the minister asking him to say his vows.

"Yes....erm....." Emmett started nervously, his eyes never leaving Rose's. "Rosalie, from the first time I saw you I knew you were an angel send from heaven."

His voice faltered slightly as he continued. "The day you told me you loved me was the best day in my entire life. The only thing I didn't understand was what I had done to deserve this. To deserve you. I still don't know why, but I do know that you accepting me into your life and into you heart has made me the happiest man on earth and I will do my best to be worthy of you."

Rosalie's face lit up like a candle at his words. I knew she had been a little afraid of what Emmett was going to say. The fact that Emmett wasn't big on romantic gestures normally didn't bother Rose but I knew she was afraid he would cuss or say something embarrassing. The tears that were glistening in her eyes told me Emmett had struck just the right note.

I averted my gaze to flash a smile of gratitude at Edward. I had a feeling he had had a hand in Emmett's wonderful words. He caught my smile and flashed me one of his perfect mind altering crooked grins.

I was suddenly very happy again about the fact that I had managed to persuade Rose into letting me wear flats in stead of high heals. If I had worn anything that required me to keep my balance I would have toppled over just now.

Rose said her vows - which were simple and romantic - and after the traditional exchanging of rings and their first kiss as husband and wife – which was a little too 'romantic' for my taste – the ceremony ended and everyone piled back into their cars to get to the lavish reception in Gotham Hall.

When we entered the huge ballroom I was completely baffled by my surroundings. Sure, I had seen the room once before, when Rose had taken me to scout for venues, but it had been in broad daylight and the room hadn't been decorated.

Now the room looked like something out of a Tim Burton movie. The high vaulted ceiling was lit by what must be over a hundred candles and a huge chandelier hanging from the middle of the dome.

"It looks so pretty," Libby gushed from her place in Edward arms. She took the words right out of my mouth.

"It does," I agreed. "Let's go find out where we are seated."

Luckily we were seated at a table with Heidi, Felix, Jasper, Alice and Seth. I had feared Rose would have put Jacob and Leah at our table – I didn't think she knew of what had passed between us – but they were seated over with a few other guests from Forks including my mom and a very nervous looking Phil.

I had met Phil the other night when he had flown in from Phoenix. My mom had been right, he was quite a bit younger than she was, but I could see he was a very nice guy and he had a good influence on her so I couldn't really find fault with him.

"Do you want to dance?" Edward asked me, after we had finished our dinner.

I shook my head.

"I'd dance with you daddy," Libby squealed. She had been squirming in her seat all evening, not wanting to miss a thing.

"It would be my pleasure, miss Elizabeth," Edward smiled, lifting her up from her seat and carrying her over to the dance floor.

As he put her on the floor, took her two tiny hands in his and twirled her around the dance floor I watched on, unable to tear myself away from the two of them.

"He's a good man," I heard my mother say. I hadn't even noticed her sitting down next to me.

"He is," I agreed. "I'm so lucky to have found him."

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "For not believing in you. For abandoning you. I'm so proud of what you did. How you managed, in spite of everything."

"Thanks," I croaked, my throat tightening with restrained sobs.

"I know you're not ready to forgive and forget, and you're right to do so," she continued, placing her hand over mine, "but I would like you to know how sorry I am for all the pain I've caused. "

I looked at her, reluctantly tearing my eyes from Edward and Libby on the dance floor. "Thanks you. I will try to work on forgiving you. I want you to be part of my life - part of Libby's life – but you can understand that I can't put a time frame on when I'll be able to trust you and forgive you."

"I know that," she said, regret clear on her face. "I will take what you can give me and hope that in time I can repair what is broken."

We just sat together in silence after that, both of us not quite knowing what to say until Libby came skipping over to us.

"Mommy?" she said, her voice showing a determination and vigorousness I silently envied "Daddy demands you come over to the dance floor to dance with him."

"Daddy must be mad," I replied. "He knows I don't dance."

"Don't be silly Bella," Edward scolded, walking over to our table, taking my hand and leading us back to the dance floor without pausing to hear my remonstrations, "you've had a very good teacher. Of course you can dance! And as I said before.....it's all in the leading."

"Do you need any help inflating your ego or will you manage on your own?" I replied, pulling up one of my eyebrows.

"Don't you get fresh with me, young lady," he scolded, unexpectedly dipping me, before pulling me back up and kissing me lightly as my body crashed against his.

I squealed with surprise and giggled as we resumed our previous rhythm.

"I seem to remember you having no problem with me getting....fresh with you before mr. Cullen." I purred in his ear while trailing my hand along his back.

I could hear a distinct growl rising in his chest, before he twirled me, no doubt needing the distance to get himself under control. I had to work hard not to giggle like a schoolgirl in love.

"You're right," He purred as he pulled me close against his chest again. "I do like you getting fresh with me. Very much so." He bit down slightly on my earlobe before continuing. "So much so in fact, that if you were to go on like this I would have no choice but to throw you over my shoulder and march off to some quiet place to have my wicked way with you."

I was a good thing that Edward's arms were already holding me up, because if they didn't I would have been reduced to a smoldering puddle of goo at his feet right that instant. The only sound I could produce in reply to his statement was a small whimper as I let my head fall against his shoulder, hiding my flustered state from the rest of the wedding guests.

"I knew you would like that," he chuckled, bringing his mouth close to my ear once again. "You like it rough, don't you? You dirty little minx."

My whimper turned into some kind of mangled cry, like a wounded animal. The only thing that kept me from attacking Edward there and then was the fact that Libby was in the same room. If she wouldn't have been I couldn't have been held accountable for the consequences.

I didn't notice anything, except for Edwards chest, moving to the rhythm of his steady heartbeat as we continued to sway over the dance floor, so I didn't even hear the music stopped or notice the fact that he had moved back to our table.

"Don't you ever fucking tell me you can't dance again," Edward whispered into my ear, before lowering me back onto my seat - completely flustered and confused – and walking over to Emmett and Jasper, striking up a conversation with them as if nothing had happened.

"Are you alright mommy?" I could faintly hear my daughter ask.

"What?" I replied, my voice sounding a bit unsteady still.

I glanced around the table to see the knowing grins of three women – Rose had joined us at our table – and the worried expression of a little girl.

"Mommy's fine, honey......." I corrected myself, trying to think of a good excuse. "Just a little bit tired....yes.....tired form dancing with daddy."

I could hear Rose's snort as she heard my explanation and shot her an angry look. There was no need for Libby to find out what kind of sex God her father really was.

Edward came to pick us up and take us home shortly after that. It was already way past Libby's bed time and I knew there was no way she would be able to sleep in tomorrow morning, not with the knowledge that there were presents waiting to be opened downstairs playing on her mind.

She fell asleep in my arms as Edward drove us back home, never waking up as I undressed her and tucked her into her bed. I knew that I probably should have made her wash the sweat and grime off her body and let her brush her teeth first but I didn't have the heart to wake her up. The last few days had very exciting for her and I knew she must be exhausted. She needed her sleep.

"Are you coming to bed love?" I heard Edwards voice behind me as I kissed Libby goodnight.

"In a minute," I said, looking at his face, illuminated by the light on the landing. "I think I'm going to shower first."Alice had put so much makeup on my face I was afraid I was going to leave a perfect imprint of it on my pillow if I went to bed without cleaning up first.

"Wanna join me?" I smirked.

"I thought you'd never ask," he replied, flashing me my special grin as he offered me his hand.

When we reached our bathroom I moved to unclasp our hands to take off my clothes but he wouldn't let me.

"Let me take care of you, my angel," he purred, turning on the tabs so the water could heat up.

"Sure," was the genius answer I managed to stammer.

He gently spun me around so that he could reach the zipper at the back of my dress, easing it down in one pull to reveal me in the strapless burgundy lace corset and panties Alice had forced me into this morning.

"Hmm, I quite like these," he mused approvingly as he took in the sight of me in my underwear.

"Thanks," I said, blushing as I felt his eyes roam over my body. "It's Alice's Christmas gift for you."

"Remember me to thank her for it later," he said, slowly unhooking the clasps on the back. I wished he would just tear the damn thing from my body. It was taking him way too long.

"Patience, my love," he chuckled as I reached behind my back to help him.

Somehow we managed to shed all of out clothes and make our way under the hot water of the shower. Edward spun me around so that my back was facing him. He lathered his hands with shampoo and started to massage it into my hair, the scent of strawberries filling the air.

"Edward, that feels so good," I sighed, leaning back against his chest.

"Did I tell you how absolutely ravishing you looked today my love?" he whispered in my ear, gently easing me under the water to rinse the shampoo out of my hair. "Or how much I've been looking forward to this moment ever since I first saw you walking down that isle?"

He spun me around, catching me in his strong arms before I could fall and pushing me against the tiles of the shower. He kissed me with an intensity that amazed me even after every kiss that we had shared together. Our lips locking in a heated passion that made my knees buck underneath me.

"I love you Edward," I panted, wrapping one of my legs around his waist to pull him even closer to me. "Please."

He looked into my eyes as our bodies connected in the most intimate of ways, both of us crying out at the feeling of completion. He was my home. My haven. It had felt like that from the very first time we had made love and I knew that I would never again feel like that with anyone.

He rested his head in the crook of my neck as we moved together, sucking and kissing my tender skin.

Not a word was uttered by either one of us. It wasn't necessary. It would only mar the love, flowing freely form his body to mine and from mine to his. It needed no words, no explanations. It was whole. Complete on it's own.

Afterwards we just stood under the hot spray, holding and kissing each other. Neither one quite ready to let go until the water turned cold. We took turns in drying each other off before we retreated back to our bedroom for round two.

I awoke the next morning to the felling of a crazy five year old jumping up and down on our bed.

"Mommy! Daddy! Wake up," she yelled, her voice so high I thought even bats could hear it. "We have to find out if Santa brought us some presents!"

I groaned, rolled over and pulled the bedsheets around me, trying to ignore the feeling at first, but then, when I realized that Edward and I were both still very much naked underneath those sheets from last nights activities I knew that I had to find a way to get the little holiday sprite out of the bedroom somehow.

"Libby?" I cooed. "Why don't you go downstairs too find out and come get us if he did?" I was rather proud of my solution. It bought us some time to wake up and get decent without giving Libby the chance to unwrap some of her presents on her own.

"Kay," she yelled, running out of the bedroom and bounding down the stairs.

"Edward, wake up," I yelled, tugging at his arms.

He responded with a groan and pulled me into his embrace.

"We don't have time for that," I scolded, trying to break free of his hold. "Libby is going to come running back into this room in less than a minute and unless you want to explain the difference between boys and girls to her you'd better put some clothes on."

That seemed to help.

When Libby came running back into our bedroom we had both just finished putting on some sweats.

"Mommy! Daddy! You have to come look at all the presents!" Libby yelled, trying to catch her breath.

I let her pull me down the stairs, keeping the banister in a deathlike vise to prevent myself from falling downs as we sped our way into the living room, Edward following close behind.

I sat Libby down on the couch. "Now, Libby, I'm going to make us some breakfast to eat in the living room while we unwrap our presents first. So you have to be patient a little while longer," I said as sternly as I could.

"But Mom," Libby whined, her face showing her disappointment.

"It will only take a minute, sweetie," I reassured her, kissing her hair before making my way to the kitchen.

I returned in no time with a tray of hastily assembled pre-prepared breakfast foods, two steaming mugs of coffee and three glasses of orange juice.

Libby dove into the huge stack of presents with her name on it even before I had had the time to put the tray on the table.

As she finished unwrapping the last of her presents I found myself getting more nervous by the second. I was nervous about giving Edward my present. It was so simple and sappy. What if he didn't like it?

"My turn?" he asked, sounding as eager as Libby as he ogled the square box in front of him.

I nodded mutely, feeling my throat constrict with nerves.

He unwrapped the present and pulled the leather bound album from the box. I studied the emotions flickering over his face as he looked at it, turning the pages slowly.

Happiness.

Love.

Guilt.

Gratitude.

Love.

"What is it daddy?" Libby asked, unable to wait any longer.

"It is an album," Edward said, in a strange, shaky voice thick with emotion. "A kind of diary."

"What about?" Libby asked, scooting over to Edwards side of the couch.

"It's about you," Edward stated, looking from Libby to me me with an expression of pure love.

I had gotten the idea that first night he had spend at my apartment. When I heard him enter Libby's empty bedroom my heart had ached for all the moments in her life he had missed and even though I could never remedy that, I could try to show him what it had been like to watch Libby grow from a tiny little blob on the ultrasound to the beautiful little five year old he had met.

The next morning, before I went over to Jasper's I had gone to the store to get the largest photo album they had in stock. I had spend every night Edward had to work rifling through the boxes of photo's that covered every step of Libby's development, being glad for the first time in my life that Emmett had felt the need to take pictures every opportunity he got.

I didn't just want to make a photo album for Edward though. I wanted it to be like he had been there, like he had watched her grow up. So I selected photo's, mostly from important moments in our lives, and wrote little stories next to them, explaining what was going on. I even sacrificed some of the treasures I had kept – an imprint I had made of her hands and feet after she had just been born, the first drawing she had made and the first time she had written her own name – for the book.

So here I sat on the couch, watching Edward as he and Libby looked at the pages of the book. My emotions going haywire all the while. Did he like it? Did he think it was too presumptuous? Did I cause the pain to come back?

I waited for him to speak first, though I hoped he would hurry up because I felt ready to burst.

"Thank you," he whispered, finally tearing himself away from the pages of the book. I could see the tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "You don't know how much it means to me to finally be able to see our little girl growing up."

He opened his arms for me as I crawled onto his lap, basking in his tender embrace.

"I love you," he whispered. "So much."

"I love you too," I whispered, closing my eyes and breathing in his scent.

"Are you ready for my present?" he asked after a while.

I nodded impatiently, wondering if he had been able to keep his end of the promise.

Libby, who had busied herself with her new easy bake oven during the time Edward and I had spend wrapped up in each other on the couch, handed me my present, a circular packet.

I unwrapped it to reveal an almost antique looking leather cylinder. I opened one of the caps and pulled the sheets of parchment out of them. They contained sheet music, written out in the elegant handwriting I immediately recognized as Edwards.

I looked at him in wonder.

"I wrote you a song, a lullaby," he explained. "I think it would be best if I just played it for you. That is....if you want me to." He sounded so nervous, like he wasn't sure if I would like it. Silly Edward.

"I would love to," I said immediately, trying to calm his nerves.

He smiled at my eagerness and offered me his hand.

"Can I come too, daddy?" Libby asked from behind her new little oven.

"Of course you can, honey!" Edward laughed, picking her up in his other arm.

He led us over to the piano, seating me next to him on the bench before carefully placing Libby on my lap.

I was still completely in awe of the fact that not only had Edward been able to compose a piece of music from scratch, but he had done it in my honor. He had made a piece of music for me! Nobody had ever done anything like that. Without even hearing a single tune of it I knew it would be the best Christmas present I had ever been given.

As his fingers started to move over the black and white keys of his piano I found myself drifting away on the soft tones of my lullaby. The music started of slowly, carefully, before the tempo moved up and the soft, sweet tones took on a slightly more passionate note.

Then the tempo faded again, the character of the song shifting from major to minor. The tones became more silent and pained, almost as if the piano was slowly pining away. I kept my gaze fixed on Edwards hands, concentrating on the music instead of the memories it evoked.

Right before the tones completely died out it was as if thunder struck. Low and high notes binding together in a whirlwind of hope, confusion and above all an almost unspeakable happiness. Still, there was an undertone of hurt, lingering pain, doubt and fear. Light and hopeful white keys combined with the black and more thoughtful and reserved notes in black minor.

As the piece progressed those lingering and haunting sounds of fear and doubt slowly faded away. They were still there, in the background, and would never really go away, but they were silenced by the ever strengthening melody. It held every emotion I was feeling at that moment and so much more. But above all it held a promise.

A promise for the future.

Our future together.

And it was brilliant.

I was glad that I had Libby sitting on my lap, giving me the strength I needed to listen to the lullaby – my lullaby – without turning into a blubbering mess halfway through the piece and ruining everything. I didn't want that. I wanted to hear every note Edward was playing. Commit it to memory and absorb it into my being.

So I hid my face in Libby's hair, moistening it with the tears I couldn't keep in, and listened until the music faded and finally stopped.

The silence that followed it was charged, almost tangible. Edward just sat there next to me, his whole frame tensed as if he was preparing to bolt, the expression on his face – the part that I could see – more vulnerable than I had ever seen it.

Libby thought this was an excellent moment to hop down from my lap and disappear back into the living room, giving us some privacy.

I took one of Edward's hands, prompting him to turn slightly towards me, though he kept his eyes averted.

"That was so....beautiful," I said, trying to find the right words to capture the wildfire of emotions his present had stirring inside me. "It was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard in my whole life."

"You like it?" He sounded like a little boy, dying to get approval.

I flung myself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Of course I like it, silly! I love it! How could I not?"

"Good," he stated, pulling me into a vise like embrace.

"It's the best present you ever gave me, apart from Libby," I cried.

"I would give you the world, if I could," he said.

"I don't want it," I replied, lifting my head to kiss him softly, chastely. "All I want is you."

_**So, how did you like the presents they gave each other? I got the idea for Bella's present to Edward when I wrote chapter 11. I couldn't wait to write this bit. And as for Edward's present to Bella....well, it kind of made sense to have him give her the lullaby. **_

_**The next chapter is going to take place in Chicago and it's called 'The Meadow'. Want to know what happens there?**_


	30. The Meadow

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**_Lines in italic are the words of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer taken from chapter 12 of Twilight or chapter 20 of Eclipse._**

**The Meadow**

"Really Edward!" I huffed. "A Masserati?"

I looked at the ostentatious car in front of me, the dark green paint doing nothing to make it blend into the background with the rest of the cars.

"It's just a car," he muttered, guiltily ducking his head.

"What? Where they out of regular sedans at the rental company? Or did the good old midlife crisis strike a little early?"

"I like this car," he shrugged.

"It's not exactly a family car," I said, pointing at Libby.

"All taken care off my dear," he snickered, pointing at the booster seat the people from the rental company had installed.

"Just don't tell me how much all of this cost!" I grunted, plopping into the passenger seat while Edward strapped Libby into her seat.

"I like the car daddy," she smiled at him. "It looks pretty."

"Thanks honey," Edward chuckled, kissing her on her head.

"Little traitor," I huffed, trying not to gush over how adorable the two of them were together.

We had taken an early flight to Chicago and when Libby had woken us up at six o clock this morning jumping up and down on the bed out of excitement because she was going to fly for the first time in her life I knew that had been en very wise decision.

Her eyes had been huge with excitement all day and she had been shooting questions at Edward and me ever since we left our home. As much as I loved my daughter for her enthusiasm and inquisitiveness I was now exhausted and I could imagine Edward was as well.

He didn't let any of that shine through as he got into the driver's seat, letting the engine purr to life while answering another twenty or so questions from Libby about the city of Chicago and the home he grew up in.

As we left the surroundings of the airport and the city the houses slowly started to get bigger and farther apart. Soon we were driving through a forest, the snowy branches of the trees shimmering in the light of the watery December sun like a thousand mirrors.

"It's so pretty," Libby gushed, touching the car window with her tiny hands as if she wanted to reach out and touch the icy branches.

"It is," I agreed.

"Can I make a snowman when we get to granddad and grandma's daddy?" Libby asked. "Do they have a garden?" The prospect alone had her wiggling in her booster seat. It was a good thing that she was safely buckled in or I had no doubt she would have been hopping up and down on the back seat like a kangaroo.

"Yes, they have a garden," Edward confirmed, chuckling at her enthusiasm.

"Yay!" Libby cheered, clapping her hands.

"In fact," Edward mused, "I used to make snowmen in the garden quite a lot when I was a kid."

"Will you help me make it daddy?" Libby asked. "I've never really made one on my own before. I'll even let you name him if you want to help me."

"Of course I will," Edward smiled and I saw him glance at her through the rear view mirror.

"Love ya!" Libby grinned before turning her attention back to the scenery flashing by.

"Did I ever tell you how much her smile reminds me of yours?" Edward whispered.

"That's funny," I replied, smiling to myself. "I was just thinking of how much she reminded me of _you_!"

"You have to be kidding me!" he laughed, "Just look at the way her eyes shine when she smiles!"

"Her _green_ eyes, Edward?" I smirked. "And she's got your smile as well. Surely you can't deny that little lopsided grin of hers is yours?"

"I still think she looks more like you," he smiled, shaking his head. "More like perfection."

"Yeah, sure," I snorted. He clearly needed to have his eyes checked.

"We're nearly there," he said, quickly changing the subject as he turned onto a small driveway, winding it's way into the forest.

"Doesn't Esme mind being so far away from everything?" I asked. "I remember Carlisle saying how she didn't like to be at home alone."

"Esme grew up here, that's why it's the only house in which she can stand being alone," Edward explained as we drove up to the house.

"Wow," was all I could manage as I took in the beautiful house standing in a large clearing.

"You like it?" he asked, smiling at me.

"It....has a certain charm," I chuckled, looking back at the house.

It looked so peaceful, almost like something out of a painting. The house itself was timeless, graceful and probably over a hundred years old. The wood that covered the walls was painted in a soft, almost faded kind of white, making the house blend in perfectly with it's wintry surroundings.

As soon as the car came to a halt in front of the house the door opened and Esme came walking up to us. She nearly dragged Libby and me out of the car and into a hug.

"I've missed the two of you!" she cried, the force of her embrace reminding me a little of Emmett. "How are you doing?"

"It's nice to know you missed me too!" Edward chuckled as he walked up behind us.

"Hush!" Esme scolded. "You know I've missed you."

"It's alright mom!" he smiled. "I know when I'm not wanted. I'll just bring the luggage up to our rooms."

"I'll help you!" Libby sang, taking one of the smaller bags into her tiny hands.

Esme chuckled. "I've put you on the third floor. Libby's room is the guest room across the hall from your old room."

She then turned to me. "Do you want me to give you a tour of the house?"

Before I could reply another car came tearing into the clearing. I knew it was Alice before I even saw who was driving. She was the only one I knew who could rival Edward in his tendency to regard the speed limits as just guidelines.

"I should really talk to that daughter of mine about her driving habits," Esme, sighed, shaking her head. "I thought that maybe now she found the love of her life she would calm down a little....."

We both snorted, knowing the unlikeliness of that.

After exchanging hugs with Alice and Jasper we moved into the house. Jasper brought their suitcases upstairs while Esme gave us a tour of the downstairs accommodations. I felt a little sorry for Jasper. Alice hadn't seemed like the kind of girl who travels light to me, but the fact that she would bring four gigantic suitcases along for a seven day trip amazed even me.

The downstairs rooms were as lovely as the outside appearance of the house. They were light and airy and filled with elegant antique furniture. I could recognize Esme's hand in every fiber of the rooms. Everything looking as classic, delicate and warm as she was.

"Are you going to move back to Chicago Alice?" I snorted as we came back into the foyer, pointing at poor Jasper who was currently dragging two of the suitcases up the stairs, his face beet red from the exertion.

"No silly," Alice giggled. "One of those suitcases is for you and one is filled with stuff for mom."

"We do have shops in Chicago dear," Esme replied.

"I know, but sometimes things just remind me of you," Alice explained.

"You didn't have to bring anything for me," I said. "I'm perfectly capable of packing my own luggage."

"I beg to differ," Alice snorted. "Knowing you your suitcase is probably filled with all kinds of baggy, shapeless potato sacks I wouldn't even send to Oxfam."

"Alice!" Esme scolded.

"It's true mom!" she objected. "And knowing Eddie he didn't even tell her of the New Year's party yet, so she wouldn't have had anything good to wear if I didn't bring her some dresses."

"New Year's party?" I gasped, getting flashbacks of the horrendous Christmas Ball.

"It won't be anything like the hospital disaster," Alice soothed, patting my arm. "For one because my mom and dad don't allow any perverted old men or desperate trollops in their home," she smirked at Esme, "and secondly because I would be very surprised if Edward let go of you long enough for you to go to the bathroom."

"It will be fine, Bella," Esme added. "We wouldn't let anything bad happen to you."

"I can't say the same for me though," I sighed, wondering why Edward didn't tell me anything about this party.

Alice must have read my thoughts. "My coward of a brother didn't dare telling you before. He was afraid you wouldn't come to Chicago if you knew there would be dancing involved."

"He may just have been right," I snorted.

"Speaking of the boys," Alice giggled. "Why don't we go and check up on them?"

She led me up the stairs to the first floor and pointed up to a second flight of stairs. "My bedroom is on this floor," she said, pointing to the door in front of her, "Edward's is one floor up."

I would have guessed that myself, because of the high pitched squeals that where coming from upstairs. Obviously my daughter was enjoying herself.

--

EPOV

--

I carried our luggage up to my old room, once again glad that Bella – unlike Alice – was a light traveler.

Libby was walking in front of me, dragging her own bag up the stairs. I was a little worried that she might trip and hurt herself but, since luckily she hadn't inherited Bella's lack of coordination. When she reached the landing she started looking around her.

"We have to go up to the second floor," I explained. "Alice, Jasper and my mom and dad sleep here Our bedrooms are one floor up."

"Okay," she giggled, hoisting her bag up again.

"Are you sure you want to carry it all the way up?" I said.

"Absolutely," she said in a tone that left me in no doubt. She was just as stubborn as Bella. Once she had made her mind up there was no way anyone could dissuade her and she seemed to have decided she was going to bring her own bag up to her room.

I opened the door to the bedroom Esme had designated as hers and I wasn't surprised to see it decorated much in the style of Libby's bedroom at home.

"Did grandma do all of this for me?" she asked incredulously as she dropped her bag to the floor.

"I think she did sweetie," I said, looking at the delicate soft pink and flowery decorations of the room. It echoed Libby's personality with a hint of maturity about it. It was as if Esme had tried to explain, through the decorations in this room, that Libby would be a permanent part of her and Carlisle's life from now on.

"Why don't we both go get settled in and when we're ready we'll both go downstairs to thank your grandmother?" I suggested.

She agreed, heartily and started to explore her room as I made my way across the landing to the room that had been mine since I was two years old.

Not that much had changed about it since I left Chicago. Esme had left all the furniture the way it was, only removing the empty shelves that used to hold my cd-collection. She had explained to me that looking at those empty shelves made her feel depressed so she had replaced them with pictures she had taken of the forest during the different stages of the year.

It wasn't long before I heard a loud thud, one floor beneath me before a string of profanities filled the air. Jasper and Alice must have arrived.

I walked back onto the landing, happy that Libby's door had been shut. There was no need to educate my daughter in the use of colorful language at the tender age of five, if ever there was an appropriate age for that.

"I see Alice is up to her old tricks again?" I laughed as I made my way down the stairs and into my sisters bedroom, looking at Jasper who was surrounded by four enormous suitcases and rubbing his toe. He must have bumped into something on his way up.

"I swear I love her like I've never loved anyone in my entire life but sometimes......Argh!" he sighed. "I still don't know how she managed to get everything checked in at the airport. You're not even supposed to take more than one suitcase with you."

"It's Alice we're talking about here," I snorted. "You know her well enough to know that she can just....make things happen the way she wants them to happen."

"Yeah, she's great," Jasper mused, his face slightly glazing over.

"I'll just go and check on Libby," I said, laughing at the way my little pixie sister had Jasper completely wrapped around her little finger.

I had just started to unpack a few little things when I hear Libby's voice again. "Did aunt Alice arrive?" she yelled over the sounds of terrible girly pop coming from her room.

"Yup," I could hear Bella laugh, "she's downstairs."

Judging by the way the music stopped and the sounds of tiny feet thundering down the stairs Libby was running to meet her aunt. I had expected Bella to come to our room now but she didn't. Everything remained completely silent.

Curious to see what was going on I made my way across the landing again and opened the door to see Bella standing in the middle of Libby's bedroom, taking in it's decorations.

"She did this all for us?" Bella asked and I didn't need to see her face to know there were tears in her eyes.

"She did," I confirmed. "Esme has been looking forward to the day when she could welcome another child in her home. She and Carlisle always wanted to have a big family but never managed to conceive again after Alice was born. I think you and Libby coming into her live have been the biggest presents anyone could give her."

"I wish she could have been my mother," she sighed, leaning back against my chest.

"I wish so too," I replied, knowing how much of a toll the reunion with Renee had taken on her. "It would have made things between us a little weird though!"

"I guess it would have," she giggled, turning around to kiss me.

"Mommy!" Libby yelled, bounding up the stairs again. "Aunt Alice wants you to come to her room to try on the clothes she brought for you."

"Don't ask," Bella said, rolling her eyes. She had obviously notices my confusion. "Though you do have some explaining to do mister."

Crap! Alice must have told her about the New Year's party. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you anything about the part......it's just.........after the Christmas Ball." I stumbled over my words.

She silenced me by placing her finger over my lips. "It's okay Edward,"she sighed. "Just don't keep things like that hidden from me again please. You know how much I hate surprises."

It was hard to hold back my smiles as I though about the surprise that awaited my Bella later today. I could only hope she would appreciate that particular one.....

I picked Libby up and carried her downstairs with us, releasing Bella's hand as she walked into Alice's room looking like a prisoner being taken to a place of execution.

"Please think of me while the two of you are playing outside in the snow and having a good time," she pleaded with a look of desperation on her face.

"Drama Queen," Libby mocked, imitating Bella's voice to perfection. It was the same expression Bella used when Libby was being difficult about not wanting to go to bed at night.

Alice stuck her head around the corner of the room as she heard us coming down. "Hi Edward!" she squealed, winking at me. It was clear that she was sticking to our plan for the afternoon. I nodded in acknowledgment.

"Let's go build us a snowman," I said, carrying Libby downstairs and bundling her up in her warm winter coat and pink mittens before we stepped out into the garden.

We spend some time working together in silence, Libby sometimes pausing to ask me a few questions about the fine art of building snowmen or what it was like growing up in the woods.

"Daddy?" she asked. "Didn't you feel like Mowgli when you walked through the woods in the summer?"

I had to hold in my laugher. "Whatever made you think of that?"

She cocked her head thinking about it. "I think that in the summer it must be very green over here, kind of like the woods Mowgli grew up in."

"It is," I smiled, "though there aren't any apes or panthers in this forest. Just some birds and maybe a few deer."

"Like Bambi?"

"Yeah, like Bambi," I replied, sticking a carrot in the snowman's face.

"What do you want to call the snowman daddy?" Libby asked, as we put the finishing touches to it.

"I don't know," I replied. "Why don't you help me pick a name for him sweetie?'"

She stood back, scrutinizing the snowman with her eyes tightened to tiny little slits as she thought of an appropriate name. How could Bella not see the resemblance?

"I think we should call him Jack," she stated after a while. "Jack Frost. After that movie that we saw."

"I think that would be perfect." I replied, adding another pebble button to the snowman's coat.

"Libby," I asked, as we sat back to appraise our hard work. "How would you like it if mommy and me got married?"

Her eyes grew huge again. "Like uncle Emmett and aunt Rose?" she asked.

"Yes, like that." I replied, my nerves soaring to a new hight.

"I would like that!" she said, crawling onto my lap. "Would mommy's last name be Cullen in stead of Swan?"

"Yeas, that is.....if she wants to change her last name," I explained. "Your name would be changed as well."

"Hmmmm," she mused. "Elizabeth Cullen........"

"Does that get your seal of approval?" I chuckled.

"It sounds nice," she pondered.

"You wouldn't be the first Elizabeth Cullen in the family," I said. "My mom was called Elizabeth as well. You remember? She died when I was little."

She looked at me with her piercing big eyes. "You wouldn't mind me stealing your mommy's name?"

"I wouldn't mind in the slightest," I said hugging her close. "In fact I would love it very much."

"When will we get it changed?" she asked after a while.

" I won't be for a little while," I chuckled. "Your mommy has to agree to marry me first. I haven't even asked her."

"When are you going to do that?" she asked.

"Can you keep a secret?" I replied. Her feverish nod making me smile again. "I plan to ask her today, after she is done trying out clothes with grandma and aunt Alice."

Her eyes grew huge. "Today?" she yelled, blushing as she remembered her promise.

"Today?" she repeated, whispering this time.

"Yup," I laughed. "Today."

I took her back inside and out of the cold, fixing her a cup of hot chocolate milk before quickly and quietly telling her of my plans, my nerves growing as I realized how soon it would be set into action.

"Good luck daddy!" she whispered, giving me a quick peck on the cheek as we heard the women coming down again.

"Bella," I asked as they walked into the living room, trying desperately to keep my nervousness under wraps and my voice steady. "Would you like to take a walk with me?"

She looked at me, studying my face. I must have been worse at keeping my tension under wraps than I thought.

"I just want to show you the forest," I explained. "I spend a lot of my time there when I grew up."

She smiled, getting up from the sofa. "Sure, can Libby come too?"

"I'm taking Libby to buy some groceries," Alice intervened before I could say anything. "We're going to make Christmas cookies."

"I love cookies!" Libby yelled, winking at me stealthily. She was playing her role to perfection.

"I guess no forest could ever compete with cookies!" Bella laughed, walking into the foyer. "have a nice time Alice and try to keep Libby from eating too many sweets."

"Have fun you two!" Alice giggled, winking at me as we left.

I had never been more nervous in my life. I prayed to God I could keep my eyes focused on the road and not crash the two of us into a tree or something.

--

BPOV

--

I stared at him incredulously as he tried to lead me off the safe and reasonable flat surface and into the vast, dangerous looking forest.

Away from the comfort of solid ground, or at least the solid ground that the track provided.

Into the wild.

He had to be joking.

"If you wanted to get rid of me you could have just told me to take a hike!" I laughed, shaking my head at the ridiculous suggestion that I – who had trouble walking over a flat, steady surface – would just go scampering into the forest.

"I did tell you to take a hike," Edwards smiled. "In fact, I'm asking you right now to go hiking with me."

"I don't hike, Edward. You have known me long enough now to understand why."

"You'll be alright Bella," he replied, holding his hand out to me. "Just hold on to me for support and you'll be fine."

"If I am going to break my pretty little neck you'll be the one who get to tell Libby why her dear mommy's dead!" I said, holding onto Edwards arm for dear life.

"Silly Bella," he chuckled. "Hiking is just like dancing. It's all in the leading."

I snorted.

"Do you think I'd ever let you fall?" he asked, his green eyes scorching into mine.

Damn! It was hard to for a coherent reply when he was acting like that! "Uhm.....I guess not?" I stammered.

"Correct," he stated, grabbing hold of my waist. "I've got you. I'll never let you go."

Even after a few months those words still caused a tingling sensation in the pit of my stomach. Every time Edward hinted at his commitment to me and Libby I would go weak and dizzy all over. Even after living with him for weeks and spending even more nights in his arms I still couldn't believe my luck. I, Bella Swan, had found my Mr. Darcy.

"Where are we going anyway?" I asked, trying to prevent my mind from going into the gutter. An icy forest in midwinter wasn't the right place to start attacking your boyfriend.

"You'll see," he chuckled.

"You know I don't like surprises," I scolded.

"You'll like this one," he replied, looking straight ahead of him.

I scanned the forest, hoping it would give me some clue as to what I could expect.

No luck.

"You aren't going to tell me anything, are you?" I said, already knowing the answer.

"Nope," he chuckled. He was having too much fun keeping me in limbo. I was going to have to find a way to punish him for that. "Just enjoy the walk Bella."

I tried to do what he said but it was kind of hard to enjoy the scenery when you had to keep your eyes glued to the ground to prevent yourself from tripping over some evil branch.

Hiking wasn't as hard as I had thought. Okay, I had to keep my eyes firmly to the ground and my body glued to Edwards side to prevent myself from falling but since the surface was mostly flat and we were able to walk in a straight line most of the times I managed to keep myself from having a rendezvous with the snowy surface.

Edward once again was my knight in shining armor. He held back the frosty white branches for me and lifted me over any fallen tree trunks that blocked the way. He must have been frustrated with our slow progress but if he was he never let me know.

We didn't talk much during our hike, apart from the occasional warning of any obstacle in the way. I had to concentrate too hard on the task at hand – keep feet on ground – to form any coherent sentences and Edward seemed determined not to cause any hindrance to that task by distracting me.

_"Are we there yet?" _I finally panted as he lifted me over yet another snowy tree trunk. I pretended to scowl, still feigning annoyance for his blatant lack of concern for my safety, I couldn't help the excitement from seeping into my voice though. I wondered where Edward was taking me and I was impatient to reach our destination. I'd never admit it though.

_"Nearly."_ He smiled at my impatience. "_Do you see the brightness ahead?"_

I focused on the forest in front of me, The sun shining through the bare, frosty trees ahead. The whole forest seemed to be illuminated, the ice glistening with the reflective beams of the watery December sun. Unfortunately that made it impossible for me to see anything that wasn't right in front of me.

"Urgh," I sighed. "I should have brought my sunglasses."

"You'll see it soon enough," he chuckled, leading me forward again.

After about another hundred yards of carefully trudging my way through the forest I could faintly make out an area that seemed even brighter than the rest of the forest. The realization that this must be our destination made me pick up my speed, towing a laughing Edward behind me.

As I reached the edge of the brightly illuminated spot in the forest I found myself stepping into the loveliest place I had ever seen. It was a clearing, now covered in snow and ice. From where I was standing I could see it was perfectly round, almost as if it had been crafted by human hands. The snow that covered the grass below was pristine – no one had been here since the snow had started falling – and adding my footmarks to it seemed almost sacrilegious.

The sunlight, that had streamed through the entire forest, seemed even brighter here. It reflected unhindered against the snow, coloring the meadow with a thousand little rainbows. Somewhere nearby, I could hear the bubbling music of a stream, the fluttering sounds of the water passing through it a high speed explaining why it didn't freeze over like the rest of the little brooks we had passed on our way here.

"Edward, It's beautiful!" I cried, taking a hesitant step into the meadow.

"I'm glad you think so," he said, his voice thick with emotion as he gazed at me with loving eyes.

"Who wouldn't think so?" I couldn't believe anyone who came here wouldn't think it the most beautiful place they had ever seen.

He lead me over to the center of the meadow, not caring about disturbing the virgin snow and held me – my back pressed against his chest – as I looked around me. Though I had never been here before the place seemed strangely familiar and I racked my brain to find out why. I knew for a fact that I couldn't have been here before. I had never been in or near Chicago in my entire life. Perhaps I had dreamed about it?

It was only when I closed my eyes in an effort to concentrate – the blinding light around me was making it hard to focus – that I realized what it was.

A green meadow filled with wild flowers in every color in the rainbow.

A couple standing in the middle – surrounded by their loved ones – as they are joined together in marriage.

Edwards green eyes scorching into mine as he promises himself to me. Forever.

My breathing caught in my throat while the memory of Edwards idea of a perfect wedding passed before my eyes.

"It's your meadow," I finally managed to stammer.

I felt his grip on me tighten. "It is."

"Thank you for sharing this with me." My voice felt constricted as I uttered the words. I knew how important this place had been to Edward. It had been his refuge when he was younger and haunted by the images of his past. I tried to imagine the Edward – the boy – sitting in this field finding comfort in the lovely surroundings.

"I couldn't wish for anyone else to share it with than you," he whispered. "I don't want to share it with anyone else. You are my life now, Isabella."

The mention of my full name made me turn in his arms. He didn't use it often since he knew I preferred Bella.

I wasn't quite prepared for the look I found on his face. His beautiful green eyes seemed to have taken on a new smoldering quality as they scorched into mine. The intensity making me stumble backwards and nearly fall flat on my ass.

He stood there, watching me as I scrambled to keep my balance. He seemed nervous about something. I could tell by the fact that he ducked his head slightly and by the way he kept on fumbling with something in his pocket.

He took a deep breath, as if to steady himself for something before looking back up to me.

"Bella, every day since you came into my life I found myself falling more and more in love with you. I can't imagine myself ever being parted from you again - I don't want to imagine it because it would kill me."

"He took a deep breath again before he went on. "I loved you from the moment I first saw you five years ago and _I promise to love you forever – ever single day of forever_."

The tears were streaming down my face as I realized where this was leading. I had never thought of myself as the marrying kind of girl but now I couldn't wait for Edward to actually speak the words.

He got down on one knee and took my hand, placing a light kiss on it before looking back up to me again through his long lashed, his eyes soft but somehow still scorching.

"Isabella Marie Swan, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes," I whispered. It was almost so low that I doubted whether he could even hear it. It was only when I saw his face, glowing as if it had been illuminated by a thousand candles that I realized he had.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," I chanted. It as almost like a prayer. I couldn't stop myself from repeating the words all over again.

Edward reached into his pocket and took out a little black box.

_"You didn't spend a lot of money, did you?"_ I asked, afraid of the ring the box undoubtedly held. _"Lie to me if you did."_

"I didn't spend a dime," he assured me. "It's actually a hand me down. It's the engagement ring my great-grandfather bought for my great-grandmother in 1901. The last person to wear it was my mother. She wore it every day of her life until the day she died," the grief in his voice almost broke my heart. "The only thing I did was have it cleaned and checked."

Edward opened the box and took out the ring. From what I could see it wasn't some kind of over the top monstrosity. Actually, it looked rather nice. Yes, it looked expensive – very expensive - but it was also the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life.

"I would be honored to wear it Edward," I whispered in reply.

He gently took my left hand, his fingers caressing the palm of my hand before he slid the ring into place on my third finger.

_"A perfect fit,"_ he chuckled, but underneath the casual tone of his voice I could hear the strength of the emotions that were bubbling under the surface. There was no escaping the deeper meaning in his words.

He kissed each of my fingertips before letting his lips linger over the perfect round diamond that now graced my finger. The sight of him, his beautiful angelic face still shining brilliantly with joy, left me breathless and in awe. How could someone so beautiful fall in love with me?

Before I had time to think about that or even catch my breath his lips crashed onto mine with an eagerness that would have sent the both of us tumbling into the snow if his arms hadn't wrapped around my back to steady me.

When we finally had to break the kiss for air he lifted me into the air and swung me around in the center of the meadow.

"Bella Swan is going to marry me!" he sang to the trees and the few birds that were hibernating in the forest, laughter seeping into his voice as he continued to swirl me around.

My laughter mixed with his as he put me down again, my feet stumbling on something between the snow, landing us both on the ground. He rolled us so that I was on my back and he was next to me on his side, hovering over me, before he kissed me again.

"Thanks you for agreeing to marry me," he said, his voice sounding serious again.

"Did you really think I was going to say no?" I asked. What on earth would make him think such a foolish thing.

"Well....I do remember you telling me you weren't a big fan of marriage," he mused. "In fact I think you described it as an excuse for a bunch of freeloaders to get drunk on your expenses whilst you spend half the day getting dressed up and gawked at."

"Yes.....well, that was before I met you," I replied. "You're kind of worth the torture of getting gawked at while dressed in some puffy monstrosity of a dress."

"I'm honored," he laughed, helping me back onto my feat.

"So, now what do we do?" I asked, as we beat the snow out of our clothes.

"As much as I'd like to keep you here in my arms for the rest of the day I think it's best that we get back to the house before Libby and Alice will come bounding through the forest to get us," he chuckled, placing one last chaste kiss on my lips.

"What? They knew?" I yelled shocked.

"Of course they did!" he chuckled. "I had to ask Alice to watch Libby for me this afternoon and I couldn't very well ask for your hand in marriage without consulting our daughter first!"

"You asked Libby for permission?" I asked, feeling my love for him grow even bigger if possible.

He nodded.

I flung myself back into his arms. "I love you," I cried into his shoulder. "I love you so much."

"Not as much as I love you," he whispered, a fresh electrical current coursing through my body as I felt his breath on my neck.

"Impossible," I muttered.

"Let's just call it a tie," he chuckled, setting me back onto my feet.

"Fine," I sighed, before changing the subject. "So, now we have to stagger our way back to the car again?"

"Not if I can help it?" he chuckled, a mischievous glint playing in his eye.

"So is the car going to magically appear in this meadow or something?" I smirked, arching one eyebrow.

"Nope," he smiled, turning his back to mu. "I'm going to carry you."

"You're not going to carry me all the way back are you?" I asked incredulously. "I'm a bit heavier than the average backpack."

"Hah!" he snorted and I could clearly picture his face as he rolled his eyes at my silliness. "Just hop onto my back."

He helped me climb onto his back, my legs and arms wrapping tightly around his chest. "Are you still sure about this?" I asked. "I wouldn't want to give you a hernia."

"Silly Bella," he laughed before starting to walk back through the forest, seemingly unhindered by my weight. "I just committed myself to love, comfort, honor and protect you, I can't very well start that with having you risk your life on our hike back, can I?"

"I guess not," I muttered, leaning my head against his neck and inhaling his scent.

We made or way back to the car in no time, Edward sliding through the forest with a grace as if he had never been doing anything else in his life. It didn't even feel like we were moving, except for the occasional snapping of a twig underneath his feet.

He kissed my hand again as he helped me back into the car, his eyes still smoldering with the same intensity as they had held in the meadow.

"I can't wait to tell our family," he smiled, sliding into the driver's seat.

The thought of our family, waiting back at the house was enough to make me burst out of my happy little bubble with an audible gasp.

"What?" Edward asked concerned.

"I just thought about how Alice is going to react to this....." I groaned.

_**I think this is my favorite chapter as of now. I've been dying to write it ever since I though up the scene in one of the first flashback chapters. I tried to keep as close to both of the chapters in the book as possible without plagiarizing them too much. **_

_**The next chapter will have the family's reaction to the news in it and will also deal with the Cullen family's past.**_

_**Please let me know what you thought about this one.**_


	31. Revelations

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Revelations**

"Is it very egoistic of me that I'm not ready to share you with the rest of the family yet?" Edward sighed, his arms tightening around my waist.

"Nope, not at all," I muttered, pressing my body against his. "I feel the same way."

"Then what's stopping us from getting back into the car and getting the hell away from here?"

I leaned back a little, studying his face to see if he was for real. There was nothing I wanted more than to get away from here and spend some time alone with Edward, preferably in a room with a bed.

What was stopping me?

Oh yeah. The two very hyperactive little people who were no doubt watching us even now.

"The fact that Alice and Libby would explode if we kept them waiting any longer?" I offered. "I doubt if Esme would like it if she had to clean up the mess after that!"

"True, my love," Edward chuckled, not letting go of me.

"And I want her to think well of me," I added. "I am going to be her daughter in law after all!"

"You're right," he replied. "Making a favorable impression on Esme is important, though I doubt whether you could do any wrong in her eyes. Seeing the opinion she has of you already you could massacre babies on the kitchen table and she'd still love you."

Just then the truth of everything that had happened this afternoon hit me.

"We are getting married," I said, trying to keep my voice steady though it came out almost as a squeal.

I thought that the prospect of matrimony would scare me more but it didn't. I realized that there was no way I was going to be making the same mistakes my parents had. We weren't like them. We would make it.

"Yes," Edward said, his face taking on that same exultant expression I had seen in the meadow. "We are getting married."

He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the ring lightly. "Let's just get this over with," he sighed, leading me over to the front door.

"I'm still amazed with the fact that Alice and Libby haven't come storming out of the door yet," I said. I had thought they'd come running at us the second they heard Edward's car.

"You're underestimating Esme love," Edward chuckled. "She may seem very gentle and polite, but she could keep a stampede of buffalo in check with just one look."

"I think she may have needed that, with the two of you growing up!" I laughed, handing him my coat.

"I guess so!" He grinned.

The minute Edward had closed the front door I could hear a faint rumbling coming from behind the living room door. It reminded me a little of that scene at the beginning of Jurassic Park when the people in the cars could hear the angry T-Rex draw closer. All that was missing here was a glass of water and an upset goat.

"Should I be afraid?" I asked, looking to the door.

"Terrified!" Edward chuckled.

As soon as the door opened I could see two blurry spots moving towards me in with a frightening speed, one chocolate brown and blue, the other pitch black and pink.

Before I had time to react I was attacked by the two blurs and found myself on the ground buried beneath a pile of screaming pixies.

"Alice, get the hell off my fiancé!" Edward snarled, grabbing his sister by the hem of her dress and yanking her out of the pile while I extricated myself from Libby's grasp.

"So it's true!" Alice shrieked, hopping up and down in front of us like a chipmunk on acid.

"I would have preferred to announce it in another way," Edward said a little disgruntled, "but yes, I asked Bella to marry me and she accepted."

"I told you she would say yes!" Libby yelled, flinging herself into his arms.

"So, you're okay with this?" I asked. I didn't want Libby to be unhappy about this. I mean, so much had changed in her life already, I didn't want her to get completely lost, even if it meant having to put the wedding on hold for a while.

"Are you kidding?" she yelled, leaning over to me with huge eyes. "I love it!"

I let out a huge relieved sigh.

"I'm glad you do honey," I smiled, stroking her cheek.

"Can I help pick your dress?" she asked.

"Sure," I smiled, not surprised that that was one of the first things she thought about. "And then you can help pick out your own dress."

"My dress?" she she asked in wonder.

"Yes!" I said, in mock surprise. "You didn't think I'd get married without you as my bridesmaid did you?"

"Yay!" she squealed, wiggling dangerously in Edwards arms.

"Libby darling," he warned. "If you want to be able to walk down the isle at our wedding you're going to have to be a little more calm."

"Oops!" she giggled. "Sorry daddy!"

"That's okay honey," Edward laughed as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

I had totally forgotten about everyone around us until I heard Carlisle clear his throat behind me .I moved to stand beside Edward so I could look at everyone, the huge smiles on their faces being the first thing I saw.

"Congratulations Edward, Bella," Carlisle said with a warm smile, closing the distance to take my hand. "Both Libby and you have been a very welcome addition to this family from the first moment you entered Edward's life. I'm so happy you will officially be a permanent addition from now on."

He laid his arm around Edward – who had placed Libby on the floor again – and said something in his ear I couldn't understand.

"Thanks Carlisle," Edward said, putting his arm on Carlisle's. "I'll come find you this afternoon."

Before I could think any further about it though, I found myself wrapped in Esme's warm embrace.

"I'm so happy for you Bella," she said and I could hear her tears in her voice. "From the first time I heared about you I knew you were just right for him. I considered you my daughter back then, and even more so when I had the pleasure of meeting you."

"Thanks Esme," I said, my own tears rolling over my cheeks.

"No, thank you," she replied, taking my face in her hands. "Thank you for joining our little family. You and Libby and Jasper have truly made our family complete."

"Elizabeth would have been so proud of you," she said, moving over to Edward. "I wish she could have been here to see it."

I held my breath, waiting for Edwards reaction. I had hoped being back in Chicago – around all those old memories – would make him open up a little bit more about that aspect of his past, even though a greater part of me hurt for all the pain I knew it would cause.

"I know," he said, his voice slightly cracking with emotion. Esme wrapped him in her arms and held him as if he was still a little boy. My heart broke a little at the sight. There was still so much pain Edward kept hidden underneath his facade. I hoped that in time he would be able to work through it though I knew that parts of him would always be broken.

"You'll be very happy Bella," I didn't even notice Jasper coming up to me. "And never think you don't deserve it."

"Thanks Jazz," I said. Jasper and I had been talking a lot lately and I had found that not only was he one of the best friends a girl could wish for, he was also a very good listener. It was as if he knew my emotions better than I knew them myself.

Alice seemed to be standing a little way back from the rest and I was starting to wonder if her hesitance had some deeper meaning. Did she not want me to marry Edward? Did she think I wasn't good enough?

No, that couldn't be it could it? She had always been such a good friend to me. Well, almost from the start. She had been happy enough when we had first come into the room.

But then why the hell was she acting this way?

"Alice?" I asked a little hesitantly.

"Yes?" She seemed a little out of it.

"Are you alright?"

That seemed to make her snap out of it. When she turned back to me her face had that open, exuberant expression I had come to know and love again.

"Am I alright?" she yelled. "I'm ecstatic! I've always wanted to have a real sister!"

She almost flew towards me as she spoke and if it hadn't been for Edward supporting me I would have had a second rendezvous with the floor in the same hour.

"I mean, dressing Edward up as a girl is fun, but it gets old after a while," she muttered into my hair.

"You actually dressed my daddy up as a girl?" Libby asked with huge eyes.

"More than once, actually," Alice grinned. "He started to struggle a little when he got older and then he started to grow facial hair and it just wasn't fun anymore."

"We still have the pictures though," Esme chimed in.

"No," Edward said, his face conveying as much of his horror as the tone of his voice did. "You're not showing them those."

"You have pictures of daddy dressed like a girl?" Libby squealed. "I wanna see!"

"Yeah, me too!" I laughed, much to Edwards dismay.

"Why don't we wait for a more opportune moment to get those out of their hiding place?" Esme suggested, winking at Alice. "I have a feeling Edward's going to burn them if he gets his hands on them."

"Damn straight!" Edward muttered under his breath.

"Now, let's have some coffee!" Esme said, saving Edward and Alice from launching into a fight.

"Do you need any help?" I offered.

"No, thanks, I'll be fine," Esme said, lightly brushing my cheek. "You just sit back and relax."

Edward lead me over to the sofa and again I noticed the huge change in him. It was as if a weight had been lifted of his shoulders, like he finally realized that I wasn't going anywhere. That I was just as committed to him – to us – as he was to me.

Ever since he had placed the ring on my finger he hadn't let go of me, not even when his family congratulated us. I love how he couldn't stop playing with my ring, or kissing me at any part he could reach whenever he had the opportunity.

He gently pushed me back on the sofa, sitting as close to me as possible, Libby snuggling into my other side.

"Can I see the ring mommy?" she asked.

"Sure honey," I said, sticking out my hand.

"It so pretty!" she gushed.

"It is, isn't it," Edward said, leaning his head on my shoulder and sneaking in a small kiss at the base of my neck. "It used to me my mother's, before she died."

"Do you miss her?" Libby asked. I felt the room tense up slightly as we anticipated Edward response.

"Every day," he said quickly and once again I noticed the emotion in his voice. I leaned back slightly and angled my head so that I could look at him. The pain on his face was even more apparent than I was before. I just wished I could take some of it away. If he would only let me.

I maneuvered myself so that I could reach his face. "I love you," I whispered, kissing him on the cheek with all the love I felt for him.

"I forgot how beautiful that ring was," Alice said, kneeling in front of the sofa to get a good look at it. "And it fits perfectly," she smiled, looking up at me. "Like it was meant to be!"

"It was," Edward said quietly, tightening his hold on me while he leaned his head back on my shoulder.

Esme came in with a tray of coffee things right that moment and I stood up, untangling myself from Edward and Libby's hold to help her. After everyone had their serving of coffee - or juice in Libby's case - and cookies we all settled in our seat, quietly drinking and eating. I knew this was just the overture to a round of questions. I could see both Alice and Esme gearing up to speak right that moment.

I silently thanked Edward for insisting we'd go over some of the things we wanted on our way here. Even though that kind of busted the happy bubble I was in at that moment he had deemed it necessary, explaining that when it came to planning parties Esme was every inch Alice's mother. If we were going to have the wedding we wanted, and not the wedding the those two wanted us to have, we would have to get some ideas fixed before we faced them.

"So," Esme started, thus opening question hour. "Have you two thought about what you want to do with the wedding?"

Edward took my hand. "We were thinking of having the wedding here, in Chicago, next summer.

"It would have been nice to have the wedding during Spring Break, since that was when we first met," I added, "but since I'm going to be in London for most of the holiday we'd have to postpone the wedding until summer."

"It would give you a better chance of some nice weather," Esme mused, obviously seeing the possibilities pass before her eyes. "You could even have the reception in our garden if you want."

"That would be lovely!" I exclaimed, looking at Edward for confirmation. He smiled an nodded, kissing my hand.

"It would be wonderful, since we would like to have the wedding close by as well," he said, weaving his fingers through mine.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked. She was sitting cross legged on the sofa cross from us and I could tell she was just edging to plan the whole thing. Right now the way she was sitting made me think of one of one of those followers of the Maharishi Yogi hopping up and down to achieve levitation. I'd seen something about them in a documentary about the Beatles.

"We want to have the ceremony in a meadow in the forest," Edward explained. I somehow got the feeling he hadn't yet shared his meadow with anybody else in the family.

Alice seemed a bit put out. "So you're not going to have the wedding indoors?"

"No," I said, trying to hold in my smiles. "When we first met, five years ago in Florida, Edward told me about his dream wedding and the moment he told me it became my dream wedding as well. I couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else." I glanced at Edward, grinning as a though hit me. "Unless of course we go with my initial idea and get married in Vegas by Elvis."

"Anything you want my love," Edward chuckled. He must have known I was only joking. I could never imagine Edward standing in front of Elvis.

"Noooooo," Alice's eyes grew huge and she waved her hands in front of her as if some monster was cornering her. "You cant have the wedding in a forest! It has dirt!"

"Alice sweetheart," Esme spoke up, taking Alice's hand. "It's Edward and Bella's wedding, they can have it any way they want." She turned to us, her hand still wrapped around Alice's, almost in a restraining way. "It sounds like a beautiful plan. I'd love to help out if you want me to."

"I could use all the help I can get," I smiled. Really, I didn't have the first idea about how to plan a wedding. I feared I needed both Esme, Alice and Rosalie to help me plan it or it would be a shambles.

My statement seemed to bring Alice back to her senses again because she started hopping around again, the plans almost visibly flashing in front of her eyes.

"We have so much to plan," she exclaimed. "We have to go shopping for dresses tomorrow. Not just for the New Year's party but also for the wedding. You can never start finding the perfect dress too early."

I tried to zone her out but she kept on rattling off lists of things we needed like a machine gun.

"We have to find a dress. No, we have to find two dresses! And a cake. And a priest. And a location. And a caterer. And dresses for the bridesmaids. How many bridesmaids do you plan on having? And do you want doves? You've got to have doves. They are cute! But they can't crap on your dress. Or your guests. We'd have to think about that. And roses? And why does Rose have to be on her honeymoon right when I need her? And……" I was beginning to worry about her. She was starting to turn blue from lack of oxygen.

"Alice," Jasper intervened, placing a hand in her back. "Calm down. Breathe honey."

It almost looked like she deflated. A wave of relaxation coursing through her body the moment Jasper touched her.

"But Jazz," she said.

"Relax sweetheart,' he soothed. "They aren't going anywhere. You'll have time to plan everything."

"Okay," she said. "But we're still going shopping for dresses for the New Year's party tomorrow. And I'm going upstairs to pick up my laptop so we can start working on some ideas right now."

"Deal," I laughed. "But on the one condition that we can stop if I want to." It wasn't so much the sight of Alice magically being calmed down, it was the rest of the family – minus Libby – watching us with open mouth.

"How did you manage to do that?" Edward asked, after he had picked his jaw up from the ground.

"Do what?" Jasper said, slowly letting go of Alice.

"Calm her down?" Edward explained. "I've never seen anyone able to do that. Not even mom."

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I just try and all."

"You're special, It's your superpower!" I said, sticking out my tongue. I knew how much Jasper disliked talking about his uncanny ability to affect people's emotions.

"And what's yours?" He said in a mock offended tone. "Being able to trip on a flat surface? Or is it your special ability to change color?"

I blushed. I hated myself for doing it, but I couldn't stop it so I – very girlishly – tried to hide my face in Edwards side instead.

"Just like that!" he laughed.

"Ass!" I scolded.

"Hey!," Alice yelled from the top of the stairs. "No hating on my boyfriend!"

"Then tell your boyfriend not to make fun of my fiancé!" Edward yelled back.

I smiled, loving how he called me his fiancé now. It meant that I really did belong here. With Edward. That we would really and officially be a family from now on. I didn't know why that thought gave me so much comfort. I mean it wasn't as if we didn't form a family before or as if I had any reason to doubt Edward's commitment to Libby and me. It must have just been some kind of quirky mental thing.

"Bella hurry up, we don't have all day!" Alice yelled from the kitchen.

"Wish me luck," I chuckled, kissing Edward goodbye. "I'm going in!"

"Good luck," he grinned, "If you need me, just yell!"

I sighed, making my way into the kitchen where Alice and Esme had installed themselves around the kitchen table. Alice's pink laptop was set up and from what I could see already logged on to some wedding site.

"Okay, let's get this over with," I sighed, pulling out a chair.

"Come on Bella," Alice snorted, nudging her mother. "We're just going to establish what you like and don't like for your wedding. It's not like we're going to poke you with hot irons!"

I had to fight hard to bite back my comment, opting to take a look at the screen instead. Alice had actually managed to find a picture of a wedding set in a meadow in the short time she had been here. It looked beautiful, a canopy set up in the middle and the guests scattered around it. Just as Edward had described it to me.

"It looks beautiful," I whispered.

"I know," she said, a little smugly. "You know? I'm actually starting to warm up to the whole idea of an outdoor wedding."

"Don't you think we should wait to get Rose on board before we start planning everything out?" I said. I hadn't even told Rose and Emmett about my engagement. I knew my sister in law wouldn't be happy if she came back from her honeymoon to find everything had been arranged already.

"We will," Alice explained. "I just want to get a general idea before we start working on the actual plans. You don't mind me butting my way in, do you? I mean....if you want to organize everything yourself it's fine." She looked so frightened as she offered me an out, I couldn't really bring myself to tease her about it.

"Alice," I smiled. "You know I wouldn't dream of asking anyone but you....and Rose and Esme to plan my wedding. You're welcome to 'but in' and help out as much as you would like, provided you will keep this things small and simple. Just as Edward and I would like."

"Sure," she said. "I'm just happy you want me to help. So what kind of wedding dress were you thinking off?"

"Actually," I said, "do you mind if I call Emmett first? It won't feel right starting to plan my wedding when one of the most important people in my life doesn't even know I'm getting married yet."

"Oh no, go ahead!" Esme said, getting up from her seat. "We'll give you some privacy. Do you want us to send Edward in?"

"Yes please!" I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

"Are you okay love?" Edward asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Yes," I said, filing through my list of contacts. "I just feel kind of bad for leaving Emmett out of the loop for so long."

"Don't," he chuckled. "Emmett already knows."

"How?" I asked.

"Bella," he laughed. "Just because your father isn't around to ask for your hand, doesn't mean I can just skip that part!"

"You mean you asked Emmett for my hand in marriage?" I cried. "And he said yes?"

"Did you doubt that love?" he laughed, kissing my ring again. "Sure, he gave me the speech about how he knew just as many ways to kill me and get rid of the body as his dad did, but he also wished me luck and gave me his blessing."

"So he knows already," I mused, waiting for Emmett to pick up the phone. That sure would make this conversation a lot easier.

"Swan," Rose's voice panted after she finally picked up. The tone of her voice left me in no doubt of her current activities.

"Rosalie, get the hell off my brother! I have some big news!" My excitement currently outweighing my shock.

"You have news?" she asked. "Explain."

"So he finally grew some and asked her!" we could hear Emmett yell in the background. "Good on ya Eddie!"

"What the hell are you talking about!" Rose fumed. Emmett must have forgotten to tell her.

"He's talking about the fact that Edward asked me to marry him and I accepted," I said, a huge smile on my face.

"What!" Rose yelled and for a moment I didn't know if her statement was directed at me or Emmett. "You knew and it didn't register in that thick empty skull of yours to tell your lovely wife? Why the hell did I marry you?'

"You need a reminder?" I could hear Emmett say.

"Get your hands off me you dumb ox!" Rose yelled. "You're so not getting any more today!"

"Uhm....Rose" I interrupted.

"Yes Bella," she purred. "You were saying?"

"Well, I kind of said everything I wanted to say," I stammered. "Except that I would like your input in planning the wedding. With Alice and Esme, that is."

"I would love to! And congratulations Bella! I know the three of you are going to be so happy!" Rose cooed. "Well, if that's everything......I have a husband to take care off!" With that and a high pitched giggle she hung up.

"Well, that went....well," I said, still confused.

"So, should I tell Esme and Alice to come back in?" Edward chuckled, giving me a chaste kiss.

"Mmmmm," I hummed against his lips. "Personally I would prefer to keep doing what we do now."

"So would I love," he sighed. "So would I. But, you know Alice will be bursting through the door in under five minutes and I promised Carlisle I would drop in on him in his study. Jasper took Libby out for a walk so you don't have to worry about her. We'll just have to continue this tonight."

"I'm holding you to that!" I laughed, sneaking in one last kiss before I allowed him to walk out of the kitchen.

The minute he left Alice ran back in and reclaimed her spot in front of the laptop. "So, what kind of dress do you want?"

"Alice" Esme laughed, shaking her head. "How did the talk with your brother go?" She said, turning to me.

"It went okay, I guess," I said, blushing. "He knew already since Edward had asked him for my hand and besides that, he was......otherwise occupied."

Alice and Esme both snickered.

"I bet they were," Alice said. "Now...the dress?" She pointed to her computer screen where an assortment of dresses in all sorts and styles was currently flashing by.

"What about this one?" she said, clicking on an image of a huge, ball gown of a strapless dress with a long train.

"Alice?" I pleaded. "You do know the wedding is going to take place in the forest, do you?"

"Yes..." she said wearily.

"Well, in that dress by the time I've reached the isle I will be trailing half of the forest behind me and the whole thing will have gotten dirty."

"Hmmm," she hummed, looking back at the screen. "You've got a point there. So long trains are out. Anything else?"

"Yes," I said, looking back at the picture. "I don't want a strapless dress. I'll be nervous enough as it is on the day, I don't want the added stress of having to fear the whole thing will sag down."

"So," Alice sighed, jotting things down in a binder I spotted lying next to the laptop. "Strapless dresses are out as well."

She clicked on a few keys and another image flashed onto the screen. The dress it showed in itself was beautiful but still not...me.

"You don't like it," she stated, looking at my face. "Tell me what you don't like about it."

"It's not that I don't like it," I stuttered. "I mean....the dress is beautiful. Its just...."

"It's not your style," Esme added, smiling at me. "You would prefer something more simple and understated, don't you?"

I nodded. I was desperate to keep things as simple as I could. There was going to be enough attention on me as it was. I just wanted the dress to look nice but still be as comfortable as possible.

"So," Alice said, summing things up. "You want a simple, elegant dress with sleeves attached to it and a short train. Do I have everything?"

"I think you do," I chuckled.

"You know...." Esme mused. "Your list kind of reminds me of my own dress. Let's see if I can find a picture."

She dashed out of the kitchen and returned in what seemed only a second, holding two silver picture frames in her hands.

"This one," she handed me one of the frames, "is the first picture that was taken of us as husband and wife."

I looked at the picture in front of me, tears forming in my eyes at the sight of the pure love and happiness radiating from that tiny snippet of glossy paper. Carlisle and Esme were standing in front of a church, their bodies angled towards one another and their faces turned so that they could look into each others eyes. They looked so young. So in love.

"It's beautiful," I said, only then noticing the dress Esme was wearing. It was a beautiful silk a-line gown with delicate embroideries around the edges. It came very close to the sort of dress I wanted for my wedding.

"You know I must have seen that picture a thousand times," Alice said, leaning over my shoulder, "but I still get completely dumbstruck every time I look at it. If Jasper and I look only one tenth as happy as the two of you did on our wedding day I would consider myself blessed."

"I thought you knew the two of you were made for each other already?" Esme laughed. "Did she ever tell you that the night after she first met Jasper she called me and told me she had met the man she was going to marry?"

I shook my head, though I couldn't say I was surprised.

"I swear I was this close to jumping on a plane!" she added, hugging Alice lightly before giving me the second picture frame.

She didn't even have to say who were on it. It was so blatantly obvious no words needed to be used to mar the sight of Edwards parents, standing next to Carlisle and Esme.

"Edward looks so much like her," I whispered.

Elizabeth Masen was looking straight at me, her green eyes piercing out of the picture, almost as if she could see me. Her hair was a shade darker than Edwards was and didn't have that reddish hint in it. That must have come from Edward senior – or junior as he still was at the time the picture was taken – who was standing beside her, his hands wrapped around her tiny waist. Like Carlisle he had blond hair and blue eyes and like Carlisle he was handsome and dashing in a Clark Gableish sort of way.

"He does," Esme said softly, coming to stand next to me. We looked at the picture in silence for a few moments. I think none of us knew just what to say. My heart ached for Edward. For his parents. For the moments that were stolen from them.

"Do you know my parents weren't exactly thrilled when I first fell in love with Carlisle?" Esme sniffed, changing the subject.

"You never told me that!" Alice said, a shocked expression on her face.

"I didn't think the time was right for telling you that," Esme smiled. "You always seemed to want everything to be perfect and I didn't want to burst your bubble."

"So, they never liked dad!" Alice mused. "I wonder what that was all about."

--

EPOV

--

To say that I was happy would be the understatement of the year. I was ecstatic. Elated.

The moment she had agreed to marry me it felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It was stupid really. I knew she was as committed to me as I was to her but still, the thought that soon it would be official – signed, sealed, delivered – somehow made it more real.

I couldn't wait for that day to come. If I hadn't been so set on having a proper wedding with a proper priest and a proper dress I might even have yielded and dragged Bella off to Vegas today. I'd even put up with Elvis if it meant getting to spend eternity with her.

Luckily Bella had agreed to have the wedding as soon as possible. It seemed as if she was as anxious to get married as I was. Unfortunately as soon as possible had still meant we would have to wait for summer to arrive to get married, but if it meant we could have the perfect day I just had to resign myself to that.

I had just come back from the kitchen after the strange phone call we had made to Emmett and Rose. I swear, those two kept on amazing me every time I saw them. I don't think I had ever met a couple like them.

I knew Carlisle was expecting me in his study and Alice and Esme would be keeping Bella occupied in the kitchen for quite some time, but still I could hardly bring myself to part from my fiancé.

"You okay there Edward?" Jasper chuckled, wrapping another shawl around Libby's neck. She was looking more like a pink ball on legs than a child.

"I'm fine," I chuckled. "Are you sure you don't want to join Carlisle and me?"

"Absolutely," he said, wrapping himself. "I promised Libby we would find out how long it would take us to get lost in the woods and anyway....you need to talk to Carlisle and I'm sure you don't need me to tag along."

"The talk can wait," I muttered. I had no desire to have this particular talk, even though I knew it was necessary.

"No it can't," Jasper chuckled. "Now get your ass upstairs and talk to your dad."

"Yes mother," I laughed, turning towards the stairs. Jasper was right. As much as I would like to, I couldn't run away from this forever. Just ignoring it and everything that reminded me of them, wouldn't make the pain of my parent's death go away. I couldn't raise Libby to face her demons like a grownup when I did everything in my power to flee from them myself.

I watched Libby drag Jasper behind her into the forest. The attraction Alice had felt towards Jasper had completely baffled me at first and I guess I was still amazed at how someone as calm, quiet and thoughtful as Jasper could fall head over heals in love with a hyperactive pixie such as Alice.

One look at the two of them together was enough to quiet any doubts a person might have though. Somehow they completed each other. They were two halves of a whole – yin and yang – which put together made one perfect unity.

Alice had grown as a person since meeting Jasper. She had always been such a bubbly and open person but the downside to that was that she could sometimes throw herself into things with an almost childlike naivety. In a way she had grown up in the last couple of months. She had become more thoughtful and more susceptible to other people's feelings.

Jasper on his side had also changed since meeting Alice, or so Bella told me. He had taken a leaf from Alice's book and become more open and in touch with the world around him. In stead of living in the past, as he had done until he met her, Alice had dragged him into the twenty first century.

"Ah, Edward. I've been waiting for you." Carlisle, standing in the doorway to his study broke me out of my thoughts. "Come in."

"Thanks," I said, taking the seat opposite his at the desk.

"I think this is an occasion that calls for some brandy," Carlisle chuckled, filling two glasses and setting one before me.

"To a long and happy marriage," he said, lifting his glass before taking a sip.

"I'd drink to that," I agreed, letting the liquid scorch my throat.

"Did you know that your father sat in the very chair you're sitting on now when your father told me he was getting married to your mother?" he started, laughing about some ancient memory.

"But...." I was puzzled. I knew Carlisle and Esme had only moved into this house after they got married and by that time my mom and dad had been married for several years.

"Most of the furniture in this room came from the old house," he explained. "This desk and the chairs were in the study Ed and I shared."

I could faintly remember the old house. It was the house my grandparents lived in and I had been there a few times when I was little. After my grandparents had died Carlisle and Esme had decided to donate it to a charity supporting victims of road accidents. I never knew they had kept some of the furniture though.

"Tell me about them," I said, looking at the glass in my hands. I realized that for the first time in my life I wasn't afraid to talk about them any more.

"I remember him sitting in that chair, smoking a cigar and telling me all about the wonderful woman who had consented to marry him," he shook his head laughing. "I had never been more jealous of him in my life."

"You were jealous?" This was getting weirder and weirder.

"You have to understand that I was quite a different person back then," he chuckled. "I guess you could say I was sort of a rebel back in the day."

He let that little bombshell sink in before he continued. "Your father was always the perfect son when we grew up. He dealt with all the expectations people had of a Cullen back then much better than I did. I never gave a damn about parties and functions, or even about the company. I wanted to be a doctor, to help _real_ people. But of course my parents would have nothing of that."

"I'm sorry to hear about that," I muttered. This was all completely new to me. Carlisle and Esme had never talked that much about their lives before they met.

"Don't be," he laughed. "I payed them back in kind." He noticed my expression had gone from baffled to puzzled again. "As I said......I was known for being a bad seed. Well....as far as you can become a bad seed whilst living under your parents roof and having a butler clean up after you."

"What made you change though?' I said. I never knew Carlisle had had a rebellious streak of himself. I wondered why he had never told me about it before.

"Two things," he mused, his eyes turning distant again. "First off your father telling me he was getting married, and secondly meeting Esme two years later." He sighed before continuing. "When your dad told me he was getting married I started to notice how happy he looked. How happy he had been looking for quite some time. Ever since he met your mother. What they had together was special – meaningful – and I realized that I wanted that for myself as well."

"It took me two years to finally find the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with," he continued. "Or rather....she found me." This part I had heard before, or – at least – parts of it. "She came into the ER one night after she had broken her leg, falling out of a tree. I knew she was the one the moment I first saw her, lying on a hospital bed. And the best thing was: she knew it as well."

He chuckled, looking down at his hands again. "Her parents were less enthusiastic about it though....They did the best they could to keep me away from their precious only child. I couldn't say I blamed them though," he added. "The worst thing was that they almost succeeded."

I knew from something I remembered Esme telling me a long time ago that their courtship hadn't exactly been without it's flaws as well. She had told me how her parents had tried with all their might to keep them apart, preferring some rich heir with no doubt a spotless reputation to Carlisle. They had even succeeded for a while in driving the two of them apart but fortunately true love couldn't be stopped.

"Did you know it was actually your mother who got the two of us together again?" he said, looking at me.

"No," I said, still feeling that rush of emotions every time my parents names were mentioned. "What did she do?"

"She just waltzed in here, in true Elizabeth Masen – or Cullen as she was at that time – style with you on her arm and told me to get off my lazy butt and fight for the woman I loved. She could be quite commanding when she wanted to," he chuckled. "I decided I'd better follow her advice and.....well. The rest is history. I married Esme only two moths later and a year after that I found myself settled down with a wife, a mortgage and a tiny baby daughter."

"And the year after that you had me thrown into the bargain as well," I muttered.

"I still miss them every day," he sighed, looking at the huge picture of my mom and dad, hanging on the wall. It was the reason I had always hated to be in here when I was younger. I noticed now that it didn't hurt so much anymore to look at it. "They were so young, they had so much still to do in life. And they loved you so much."

"I feel like such a bad son," I said, battling the tears that stubbornly crept into my eyes. "I don't even remember them."

"How are you to remember them Edward?" Carlisle sated. "You were only two years old when they died. Is that why you never wanted to talk about them when you were younger?"

I nodded. "That and the fact that I missed them too much. I know it's crazy because I can't remember them and you and Esme have always been my parents in every other way......but I can't help but miss them."

"I know," he said, rising from his chair. "We all miss them." He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Did you see my mother before she died?" From the tiny snippets of information I hadn't been able to escape in the past I knew my father had been death on impact. My mother however had died several hours later in hospital.

"I did," Carlisle stated, his face saddening with the memories. He sat down on the edge of his desk.

"Did she say anything?"

"She did." He sighed. "She asked me to watch over you."

The tears I had been fighting all along started to spill at the realization that my mothers last thoughts had been with me.

"I know she regretted not being able to see you grow up and not being able to spend more time with you," he added.

"Did she suffer much?" I didn't want to ask that question. I didn't want to know. But still, I _had_ to know.

"I'm afraid so," Carlisle said softly. "Her injuries were very severe."

The picture of the woman from the train wreck a few weeks ago, clutching her dead child flashed before my eyes again. I wondered if my mother had looked the same when she had been brought in by the paramedics.

"She would have been proud of you, as would your dad, " he said. "As proud as Esme and I are. You've made something of your life son. Ever since you met Bella and Libby I feel like you've grown into your true potential."

"Thanks," I said. I knew that whatever it was he saw in me I had Bella and Libby to thank for. They had truly been my saviors. I had never felt this happy or free before in my life, even to the point where I could talk about my parents.

"You'll be a good husband to her," he stated matter of factly. "And you've already shown yourself to be a good father."

"How do you know that?" I laughed. "I thought Alice was the only fortune-teller in the family?"

"I might not be able to see the future," he laughed, "but I'd like to think I can read people's reactions pretty well. And judging by the way both Bella and little Elizabeth react to you, you're just right for them."

"I'd better go downstairs again," I said, looking at the clock.

"Yes, you'd better save your fiancé from the clutches of the evil wedding planners!" Carlisle laughed.

"Thanks dad," I said, shaking his hand before I left.

"I'm glad to have been able to help you," he smiled. "If you ever want to talk or ask something – anything – about them, don't hesitate. I'll be more than happy to tell you."

"Thanks!" I repeated, before making my way downstairs. As relieved and glad I felt about the talk we had, I really missed Bella and Libby. That tug I felt at my heart whenever we were apart was starting to throb painfully and I knew the only remedy to it was to have Bella in my arms again.

The rest of the day passed more quickly than I had imagined possible. As soon as Rose was done yelling at Emmett – or whatever she had been doing to him – they called Bella again, congratulating us properly. Bella and Alice had retreated into the kitchen again, filling Rose in on some of the wedding plans.

Jasper and Libby had come home after a couple of hours. Libby talking my ears off about her trip to the forest. It appeared that their plan to get lost in the snowy forest had worked miraculously well and it had taken Jasper over an hour to find his way back to the house.

"I never knew trees could look so much alike," he muttered under his breath while Libby told me all about how he had lifted her onto his shoulders and carried her when she got too tired to walk.

After talking to Rose Bella had spend a long time on the phone with Jacob, followed by a much shorter call to her mom. I kept by her side during both those phone calls, speaking when necessary but most of the times just enjoying being close to Bella.

As I was right now.

She was sleeping in my arms. Not exactly the thing I had had in mind earlier this day when I imagined the moment I could be alone with her, but she had been exhausted. She had fallen asleep the moment she had made contact with the bed and I had just had to content myself with having her in my arms and listening to her as she talked in her sleep.

Well, there was always tomorrow.

And the day after that.

And every day of our lives after that.

However, there would never be enough days in eternity for me to show her how much I loved her and worshiped the ground she walked on.

_**I'm so sorry about not updating on Friday. I've had a very hectic week last week (and today) since I've been away on field trips on most days and they left me with precious little time to write or edit. On top of that December 5th is a holiday in the Netherlands so I've been eating candy (the best part of it is that traditions dictates us to eat the first letter of your name in chocolate that day) and opening presents.**_

_**I'm glad most of you liked the previous chapter since it was one of my favorites. This one not so much. I guess it's just the hectic of these last weeks before the Christmas Holiday getting to me but the first part of this chapter didn't quite feel right.**_

_**Also, I finally got to see the movie last week. The first time I went was a total disaster. The stupid teen girls behind us didn't shut up for five minuted during the movie and there was a party of drunk students who made stupid remarks, barfed all over the seats and got into a fight when someone told them to shut the fuck up. It ended with the light going on security coming in and the whole place turning into some sick version of Gunfight at the OK Coral before everybody got thrown out of the theater just as Bella got into the cab and drove to the ballet studio.......**_

_**Thank God the second time I saw the movie was much better (it was a tiny art house theater and there were only about twenty people, all fan girls like me).**_

_**Ok, sorry for the revoltingly long AN but I really had to get that off my chest.**_

_**Please review......it would make my day.**_


	32. Close to you

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**Ok, so I know I don't normally do this but......I'm just so psyched that since I've posted the last chapter reviews have breached the 1000 mark and the number of hits on this story has passed 100,000. I want to thank each and everyone of you again for reading this story and sticking with me. You have no idea how much that means to me. Hugs and celebratory chocolate soufflés to everyone!**_

_**As always, links to dresses and songs featured in the chapter can be found on my profile.**_

**Close to You.**

I awoke the next morning to the feeling of Edward lips sucking gently on the skin behind my ear, his hand traveling from my waist to my chest.

"Edward," I moaned as he bit down gently on my earlobe. "We can't....."

He chose to ignore me, his hand cupping and massaging my breast through the material of my tank top.

"Edward...." I repeated. I had intended to make my voice sound more convincing and strict this time but still, the effect he was having on my body seemed to have spread to my voice.

"Yes, my love?" he purred, trailing wet kisses along my shoulder.

"We can't," I moaned as he ground his arousal into my back.

"Why not?" he chuckled.

"We're.....oh God......at your parents house," I panted, as his hands traveled past the waistband of my pajama pants and into my underwear.

"Yes....." he purred, moving his finger through my slick folds.

"It would not be right." I tried to remain coherent and resist. Really. It wouldn't be proper to go at it like rabbits while under his parents roof. That and Libby was right next door and she was an early riser. I would be mortified if she heard us.

"We would not be the first people to have sex in this house Bella," he said, inching two fingers into my overheated core. "Nor will we be the last I think."

"But....Edward," I moaned as he moved his fingers in and out of me, bending them to reach all the right spots. I could feel my walls starting to clench around his fingers, the pleasurable pressure building up inside of me. I was so close.

"But if you don't want to......." he mused, removing his fingers entirely, "I would never force you to do anything against you will." He kissed my shoulder before turning onto his back, leaving my flustered body alone and on the brink of combustion.

"Edward," I whimpered. All I got on response was a low chuckle.

Damn that man! He had me right where he wanted me and he knew it. I would make his pay for that.

Right then a plan started to form in my flustered brain.

Really. I would make him pay.

_'But what about Libby?' _The more responsible bit of my brain asked. _'Are we ready to throw responsible parenting out of the window?'_

_'Let Edward think about Libby this time,'_ the more flustered, sex deprived part of my brain replied. _'Let him be the responsible one for a change!'_

For a moment the battle between the two Bella's was tense, both having very strong arguments. Then Edward broke the deal by trailing one of his fingers along my spine and slightly tapping one of my buttocks before pulling back again.

That's it!

Bad Bella wins.

I quickly moved over him so that I was now straddling his waist, removing the t-shirt in the same movement.

He gasped, not expecting this from me but he was quick to compose himself again. His hands sneaking up behind my back to unclasp my bra and throw it to the side. It was only when those same wandering hands came up again to touch me that I intervened.

"Nah uh," I scolded, swatting his hands away. "You've had your chance and you didn't seize it," I said, trying to make my voice sound seductive. "Now it's my turn."

I heard his breathing hitch and his eyes dilute slightly before glazing over as he no doubt envisioned some of the things we could be doing.

I moved so that I was sitting next to him again, my fingers still scratching over his chest while I slowly lowered one of my hands until I had reached the waistband of his pajama pants.

"Would you like me to seize this opportunity?" I asked, pushing my hand past the fabric before brushing them over his hardened length.

"Yes," he nodded furiously. I had to keep myself from laughing at his sudden enthusiasm. He looked at a boy presented with his first opportunity to drive a car. I quickly admonished myself. I had a role to play.

He sprang forward, already aroused as I removed his pants and I let my hand brush over him.

"Do you like it when I do this?" I asked, my hand slowly pumping him. I grinned at the way his face was contorted in a mixture of pleasure and utter confusion.

I dipped in to place a kiss on his head before enveloping as much of him as I could manage in my mouth, bobbing slowly up and down two times before leaning back again to look at him.

Still the pleasure.

Still the confusion.

No, more confusion this time......

My hands had taken over from my mouth, slowly moving up and down his shaft, eliciting quite a few throaty moans from Edward. "Or would you rather I just fucked your brains out?"

Shock joined confusion.

Even I was amazed at my boldness at this point. I mean, I had decided to be a little bot more pro-active today, but I never imagined it would come this naturally to me.

"Well...Edward," I said with mock impatience. "Would you?"

"Oh God Bella yes, please fuck me," he groaned.

"Silence Edward," I scolded, withdrawing my hands altogether. "You don't want anyone to find out what we are doing would you?"

I felt totally empowered by my position. This whole dominating thing was fun! I could see why Edward enjoyed being in charge so much.

Edward shook his head furiously, trying to keep as silent as possible.

"Do you want me to keep going?" I purred.

He nodded, letting out a low hiss as I licked a trail from his head to the base of his shaft. "Please Bella," he whispered.

"What do you want me to do my darling?" I asked. I knew just how he must be feeling right now and I was all to glad to be able to flip the tables on him. "You have to tell me."

"Please," he panted, trying desperately to keep his voice down. "Please fuck me."

"Good boy," I praised, straddling his waist and lowering myself down onto him.

I couldn't help but let out a low moan as he moved deep within me. The feelings this closeness to the man I loved stirred within me still being every bit as strong as the first time we had made love. I let my head fall back and closed my eyes as I started to slowly rock back and forth on top of him.

When I was able to open my eyes again and look at the perfect man beneath me I found his face mirroring mine. His head slightly lolled back on the pillow and his eyes halfway shut in pleasure.

"Open your eyes, Edward," I commanded, trying to keep my voice as steady as I could. "I want you to look at me."

He opened his eyes. His green orbs fixing on my face before trailing all over my body.

"Look at the effect you have on me," I panted, increasing my speed as the pressure in the pit of my stomach was building up again. "Do you want me to come for you?"

"Yes," he groaned, his hips bucking up to meet my rhythm. "Come for me Bella."

His hand came up and circled my aching bundle of nerves, adding more pressure to the heat that was already building up inside of me, bringing me to the brink of an eruption.

He felt I was close – as much as I felt that he was in the same situation - so he moved, sitting up so that he could reach even deeper inside me. His hot mouth enveloped my peak, sucking and nipping at it as his hand massaged my other mound.

I arched my back, pushing my chest even further into him as the spots started to dance in front of my eyes and I could feel my whole frame starting to spasm and contract as my orgasm rocked through me.

"Edward," I moaned a little loudly before Edward hungry lips came down on mine, stifling the moans and groans both of us made as he followed me over the edge.

"Dear God," he panted as he let himself fall back on the pillows, his arms wrapped firmly around my back. "You know....you'll be the death of me some day."

"I'm just doing my best," I chuckled, kissing his chest that was glistening with the effects of out exertion.

"And what a way to go," he chuckled, lifting my chin so that he could give me a sweet kiss. "Why don't we continue this in the shower? I think I will have to take my time in showing my appreciation to you."

Edward sure lived up to his promise, showing me just how much he had enjoyed me taking the lead before. We only stopped when the hot water deserted us and even then Edward continued, drying my body in the most sensual way I had ever experienced.

"I'll leave you to have breakfast with the women," he said, kissing me sweetly on the lips as I sat on the bed, watching him as he got dressed..

"You're not joining me?" I wondered.

"Nope," he chuckled. "Today is the day for the annual Cullen hunt."

"The what?" I snorted. Somehow the idea of Carlisle, Jasper and Edward, stalking through the forest in pursuit of the poor wildlife seemed too surreal to be true.

"It's the day when we, fearless Cullen men, boldly venture into the wild to hunt and gather provision for the women of our tribe," he grinned.

"Those poor rabbits won't know what hit them," I giggled. I wondered how disappointed Emmett would be when he found out. It probably was best thought that my bog brother wasn't joining them on their hunting party or someone would probably have ended up with a shower of shot in his ass.

"My thoughts exactly," he grinned, sticking his feet through the legs of his thermal underwear.

I watched Edward getting dressed from my comfortable spot on the bed before getting ready myself. I decided to just wear some sweats and tie my hair back in a ponytail for now. Alice would probably make me change later anyway.

I followed Edward downstairs to discover that Carlisle and Jasper were already waiting in the foyer, dressed in a similar style as Edward was. They all wore clothes in muted colors so as to blend in with the forest, their tick heavy jackets and hats protecting them from the cold.

It was strange, even bundled up in so many layers Edwards appearance was oddly arousing. I looked around me to see Esme and Alice standing at the back of the foyer with similar glassy looks in their eyes.

Good, so I wasn't the only one.

Perhaps it was the thrill of the hunt. It might be some repressed emotion from ancient times or it might just be that Edward was the sexiest man alive. Screw Hugh Jackman, those people had obviously never seen my man!

"So they are really going off to hunt?" I asked as we saw the men retreat into the forest.

"Perhaps for an hour or two," Esme snorted. "Mostly it's just their excuse to retreat into some cabin in the woods with a flask of Jagermeister and speak man-talk all day."

"I do hope they get their shooting out of the way before that," I giggled. "I'd hate to see the effects of Jagermeister on their marksmanship."

"Oh, believe we, we've had plenty of that!" Esme laughed.

"One of my earliest memories is of granddad cursing like a sailor because great uncle Stephen had shot him in the ass," Alice chimed in.

"So that stuff really happens?" I thought it was just some cliché Hollywood had thought up.

"You don't want to know how often," Esme smiled, setting a plate of pancakes and a glass of orange juice in front of me.

"Where's Libby?" I wondered. I hadn't seen my daughter all morning. Her bedroom had been empty when we checked and I had figured she had woken up early and was downstairs with the rest.

"She's sulking in the living room because she couldn't join the men," Esme explained.

"I'll go get her," I said, shoving another spoonful of pancake into my mouth. "These pancakes are delicious by the way."

"I'll go," Esme said, "and thanks for the compliment."

Soon enough Esme walked back into the kitchen followed by a very grumpy Libby.

"Wanna come sit with me?" I offered, scooting my chair back a little.

"It's not fair," she huffed, climbing onto my lap. "I want to go with them."

"No you don't," I laughed. I wondered what she knew about hunting.

"Why not?" she glared.

"Because it's boring and cold and they are going to shoot cute little rabbits," I explained, hoping the little rabbits would do the trick.

"They what?" her eyes grew huge.

"That's what hunting is all about sweetie," I said. "They will be walking around in silence in the cold, frozen forest, ready to shoot anything that attracts their attention. Do you really want to stick around and watch them or do you want to go with grandma, aunt Alice and me and pick out dresses for the party?"

"Can I pick my own dress?" she pouted. I knew we had won her over with the rabbits. She just wanted to see how much more she could get out of this.

"Sure," Alice chimed, looking at me for confirmation. "It's not like we could pick anything better than you would."

"What kind of party will it be anyway?" I asked, munching down the last bite of my breakfast.

"Every year Carlisle and I host a New Years party at our house for some of our friends and acquaintances. Just a small thing, nothing major," she explained.

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least the party would be small which would limit the staring and attention I would have to endure.

"We'll go into town today to pick out dresses for all of us," Alice said. "I've been meaning to try out this new store."

When Esme started laughing almost hysterically I must have looked as puzzled as I felt.

"Mom!" Alice huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm sorry dear," Esme hiccuped. "It's just," she turned to me. "You have to realize that the sight of Alice in a shop – it doesn't really matter in what kind of shop – is rather unsettling."

"Why?" I asked. I mean, I knew that Alice could be quite formidable if she wanted to, but she liked shopping. Why on earth would that make her look scary?

"Have you ever seen _The Devil Wears Prada_?" she asked, continuing as I nodded. "Well, whenever my cute adorable little Alice steps into a clothing store she turns into the spitting image of Miranda Priestly."

"Ah," I said, much to the dismay of Alice.

"Do not!" she huffed. "I just take my job very seriously, thank you very much!"

"Sweetheart, half the salespeople in the greater Chicago area are scared out of their wits whenever you walk into their boutique. You know that as well as I do."

Alice grumbled something out of her breath while glaring out of the window.

"You know you like it honey," Esme cooed. "That's why you prefer going to new shops."

"Alright, alright…" Alice growled. "So I'm a tough cookie. Same thing goes for you mom!"

"I never said that was a bad thing!" Esme laughed, holding her hands in front of her chest in surrender.

"Hmpf," Alice huffed.

"Let's just get going," I offered. I never figured the day would come when I would actually suggest going shopping.

I was kind of looking forward to it. Not that I liked the idea of being prodded, poked and ogled like a thoroughbred at a horse fair, but the prospect of Alice and Esme putting on a show in front of some poor unsuspecting saleswoman did have some appeal. At least it wouldn't make me the only one who had to suffer the evil queen of shopping.

We piled into Carlisle's car, a grand looking black Mercedes, and drove to the city. When we neared the center of town I couldn't tear myself away from the window. I had never before been to Chicago and I was hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the building's I had seen before on television. Edward had promised to take Libby and me for a day on the town to see the sights and I couldn't wait.

We decided to pick Libby's dress out first, since Libby had been bouncing at the prospect of new fancy clothes all morning. I was afraid she'd hurt herself if she had to wait any longer.

Luckily the party was of such that Libby could join us. I would hate to have to spend the whole evening away from her. This was as much a holiday for her as it was for the 'grownups'. I would keep her downstairs and keep an eye on her for as long as she was awake and we'd put her to bed if she got too tired. Since the party would be just downstairs that wouldn't be a problem.

When we arrived at the store Esme had suggested for Libby's outfit I realized immediately that shopping with Esme and Alice would be…..different.

All the employees knew Esme for starters. Alice explained that that was because the Cullens were very well knows figures in Chicago society and gave generously to every charity know to man. That of course made for frequent appearances of the Cullens in the local media which explained why everybody seemed to know them.

Libby was positively purring at all the attention being lavished on her tiny person. She was a natural at these kind of things, directing the salespeople like a little Napoleon.

"I want this one," she stated, twirling in front of the mirror in a hot pink dress with white lace trimmings around the edges.

"Then you'll have it!" Alice squealed, clapping her hands in delight. "You look so cute in that dress."

"What do you think mommy?" she said, curtsying in my direction.

"It sure is cute!" I replied, putting as much enthusiasm as I could muster in my reply. Franky I was getting nauseous from the sight of the thing. It was too sugary sweet for my taste and she looked like Barbie threw up all over her, but there was no need to tell her that. I had to hand it too her, she did look cute. Like a little princess.

We got her some cute white patent leather shoes and pink frilly stockings to complete the whole child snatchers wet dream look and we were out of there.

On our way to the dress shop Alice had wanted to try out we got some lunch. The serving staff jumped to attention as soon as they recognized Alice and Esme and cleared one of the best tables in the house for us.

"You three haven't told me about Christmas yet," Esme said, after we ordered or food.

"Jaspers parents are some of the scariest people I've ever met," Alice said, thinking back on her first meeting with the in-laws.

"The major is all southern charm but underneath that you can see he is a very tough act to please," she started.

"The major?" Esme asked.

"Jasper's father used to be a very high up figure in the army. He never quite made it to general but he was very close before he got a shrapnel in his leg and had to retire from active service," I explained.

"How sad for him," Esme said. It was so like her to feel sorry for a man she had never even met.

"He took it hard," Alice said. "It nearly drove their family apart when Jasper was in college. That and the fact that Jazz only took interest in military history."

I nodded. Jasper had told me all about the fights he used to have with his dad about his reluctance to join the army. Sure, Jasper had been interested in military tactics, but only from a historical perspective. He felt no need to actually join in on the fighting. That, of course, had been a stab to his dad's heart.

"Will he be okay holding a rifle today?" Esme asked concerned after we had explained Jasper's repulsion of man to man combat.

"He was actually looking forward to it," Alice grinned. "Apparently his repulsion only concerns man to man combat, man to rabbit combat is a completely different thing in his head."

I smiled, knowing Jasper eagerness to join Carlisle and Edward probably also had something to do with the fact that it was a family bonding experience. Like me, Jasper had had a difficult childhood. He was basking in the warmth of the Cullen household as much as I was.

"And his mother?" Esme asked.

"His mother was…..weird," Alice replied. "She's so mousy and meek that you wouldn't even know she was there if she didn't shift in her seat ever so slightly every once in a while. It's like she has trained herself to be invisible."

Esme's look held a mixture of amusement, concern and compassion.

"I swear," Alice continued. "This one time I was in the kitchen fixing a plate of snacks and she came up behind me, making absolutely no sound. When she spoke I was scared to death and dropped the whole tray of canapés on the floor. She looked like I was going to hit her when she saw me."

"Poor woman," Esme mused, compassion winning from the other emotions on her face. "It must be hard for her to live with a man who has been so disappointed in his career."

"Why are all those women staring at you mommy?" Libby asked, pulling at the sleave of my sweater.

"I don't know honey," I said, puzzled by the fact that a lot of eyes seemed to be glued to our table. I felt my cheeks redden at all the unwanted attention.

"They are completely puzzled as to who you are," Alice chuckled. "I bet the wheels in their head are turning frantically. They'll figure it out before long."

"Do all those people know you?" I asked.

"They know of us," Alice explained. "It seems surreal, with Chicago being such a big city and all, but the world of charity functions and ladies who lunch is actually remarkably small. Everyone knows everyone and most of the people are actually related to each other in some way."

"So everybody in this room is family?" Libby asked, scanning the room for familiar features.

"A lot of people are," Alice chuckled. "Rich people usually marry other rich people and since there aren't that many rich people they have no other choice than to marry someone who is related to them after a while."

"Eww," Libby said in horror. A few people looked up and I prayed they hadn't caught on to our topic of conversation.

"Yeah, I think that's pretty gross as well," Alice agreed. "Luckily your daddy and I both fell in love with people from outside of town."

"Are you and Carlisle related?" Libby asked next. I could see the wheels in her head turning at great speed. Esme had told us all about how Carlisle and she had met yesterday. Libby in particular had liked loved hearing their story. It sounded so much like a fairytale.

"Good heavens no!" Esme giggled. "My parents moved here from Philadelphia when I was young. I have no real family in the city."

We went on our way to the dress shop soon after that. Luckily it was at a walking distance from the restaurant.

When we walked into the store and I immediately noticed the lack of clothing in the building. I mean, for a place that was supposed to be selling clothes they sure as hell didn't have much of them on display.

A sourly looking saleswoman scowled at me and Libby from a corner of the room. I could almost read the thoughts on her face as she was thinking them.

Oh God, that woman looks like a tramp.

And she brought a kid into our store.

Our fashion Valhalla!

She's desecrating our hallowed halls!

She must be mad!

Then, as if thunder had struck her facial expression did a complete turnaround, her face lighting up as if someone had told her she had just won the lottery and her whole frame turning towards us, edging to pounce.

"Now, let's get you a dress as beautiful as Libby's for the party!" Esme said, lifting Libby in her arms.

"I'd prefer one with a few less ruffles and a little less pink thank you very much!" I laughed.

"Let's see what we can do about that," Esme chuckled, scanning the room.

The woman in the corner took her cue and almost sprinted over to where we were standing.

'Ah, mrs. Cullen!" the she squealed. "How nice to see you again! And you've brought your lovely daughter!"

I half expected her to pinch Alice's cheek or pat her on the head.

"Yes," Esme, acknowledged, assuming an air of grandness I had never before seen on her. "And this is my soon to be daughter in law," she added, pushing me slightly forward. "We all three of us require an evening dress."

"I'll see to it that a fitting room is set up for you," the woman answered, batting her lashes at Esme as if she was trying to come on to her. "Would you ladies like to have anything to drink while you wait?"

"Thanks you," Esme nodded and I was once again amazed by her aloof and almost haughty behavior.

"It's just her way of ensuring she gets the best," Alice whispered as the woman lead us to a small waiting table in the middle of the shop. "People are less likely to rob you when you act like a bitch."

I nodded, remembering that was the approach Rose liked to take as well. Somehow it didn't seem as natural on Esme as it did on Rose.

A younger shop girl approached us with a tray and my mouth nearly hit the floor when I noticed that instead of coffee or tea, she was serving us with something that looked remarkably like champagne.

I took a sip from the flute that was placed in front of me.

Yup. Champagne. And expensive one, judging from the taste of it.

"Isn't it a little early for this?" I asked Alice as I handed Libby her glass of lemonade.

"The kind of people that frequent this shop consider one in the afternoon an excellent time for some bubbly," Alice chuckled. "In fact, there are very few hours in the day they deem unsuitable for the consumption of alcohol. When you meet them you'll know why."

It was amazing. I had never been treated like this when I went shopping, though I would have to admit I had never been in these kind of shops before either. If the artificiality hadn't radiated off the whole things in shock waves it might actually have been nice.

"Your fitting room is ready ladies," the shop woman announced, sneaking up behind us.

We were lead to the back of the shop where a fitting room the size of a small apartment and two eager looking saleswomen were waiting for us.

"Solange and Lavinia will see that every wish you might have will be dealt with," she said, before making her retreat. I wondered if her bowing out of helping us had anything to do with Alice being here.

I looked around me. This sure was different. I had never been in a fitting room quite like this. It even had a huge comfortable sofa tucked in a corner, and a coffee table in front of it, stacked with magazines and light refreshments.

Alice had, in the meantime, seized to opportunity to rifle through the selection of dresses that were hanging from a large rack to the side of the fitting room, near a section that was screened off by a curtain.

"No," she said, flinging one of the dresses at the shop girl. "Definitely not that one," she flung another one at one of the girls, who was looking more scared by the minute. "Are you crazy?" she said in horror, holding a dress that seemed to constitutes of nothing but ropes and safety pins in front of her.

"Get your superior in here again," she commanded in a chagrined tone, tapping her feat impatiently as one of the terrified shop girls sprinted out of the room to find her boss while the other retreated into the corner furthest away from Alice, who was still rifling through the dresses with an expression of extreme vexation on her face.

"Take a seat, Bella dear," Esme said, suppressing her laughter. "This should get interesting."

"You called for me?" the saleswoman from before, said, scuffling back into the room. Al signs of smugness had left her face.

"I don't know what kind of opinion you have of us," Alice huffed, throwing another five or spo dresses at the now scared looking senior salespersons head. "But if you think we would settle for something as cheap and vulgar as the dresses that were selected for us, it's clear that you can't help us any further."

"I'm so sorry," the woman apologized, looking like Alice had just boiled her puppy in hot water in front of her eyes.

"Now, if you would like to change these horrible..........things for something all together more fitting for the occasion, we would be willing to give you another chance," Alice bristled, looking infinity taller than her tiny frame really was. "That is to say…..if the clothes you select are more fit to be worn by a Cullen."

I had never seen three women and a clothes rack disappear as fast as the ones who had previously been standing in our fitting room before.

"I'd better check to make sure they are doing their work properly this time," Alice growled, trailing behind them.

"What did I tell you," Esme laughed. "Miranda Priestly."

A couple of minutes later Alice came back, a smug little smile playing on her lips. "Well, between the four of us I think we've managed to come up with a nice little selection," she said before plopping down next to me on the sofa. "So, who's first?"

"You?" I asked, hoping to delay the torture as long as possible.

"No silly," she said. "I've already found my dress." She pointed at a bold god off-shoulder dress hanging a little bit to the side of the rack.

"I love it!" Libby squealed, running over and running her hands over the fabric. "It feels a little bit funny though."

"That's because it's made of special fabric," Alice explained, looking at the dress like it was a new born baby. "It will look fabulous with the pair of Jimmy Choos I brought with me from New York."

By now my education in the world of fashion had progressed so far that I knew she was talking about a pair of ridiculously priced shoes with absurdly high heels.

"Bella, you go first," she said, ushering me behind the curtain. "I've managed to keep it down to five dresses for you to try."

The general theme of the dresses awaiting me was blue. Alice must have picked up on the fact that Edward was partial to seeing that color on my skin.

The first dress I tried on was a violet gown with a crossover neck. I liked the color and the general feel of the dress (the low back even gave me flashbacks to a very pleasant evening a few weeks ago) but somehow it just didn't look good when I looked down.

Sighing I pulled back the curtain, knowing that Alice would kill me if she didn't get a look at me before I changed into something different. Apart from that I wanted to see just what was wrong with the dress. Was it just me or did it look kind of odd? Seeing that the curtain section of the fitting room didn't have any mirrors in it I was compelled to leave my shelter.

"Hmm," Alice frowned as soon as I reappeared from behind the curtain. "What do you think?"

I giggled as I looked at my reflection. "I think I look pregnant!"

"Is there something you want to tell me my dear?" Esme asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Nope," I giggled. "Not yet." Libby seemed a little disappointed. She had been very vocal to me in her wish for a little brother or sister lately.

"So you do want to have more children?" Alice asked, coming up behind me.

"Yes," I said, without blinking an eye. "Edward and I haven't really talked about it.....I mean.......he hinted at it a few times, but we haven't really......discussed it. You know?"

Both Alice and Esme nodded.

"I mean, I'm game if he wants too....." I couldn't help but admit it. Libby's remonstrations had had me picturing another baby of Edward and me on more than one occasion. I already knew Edward was a great father and I couldn't wait to share the whole experience with him.

True, I wasn't exactly looking forward to the actual birth, but I knew that at least this time I would be supported by the man I loved more than life itself.

"Oh, believe me," Alice chuckled, "Edward is game! Just mention the word and he will be more than happy to provide!"

"It's true!" Esme chimed in. "Whether he wanted to or not, Edward has been quite the family man for as long as I can remember. Recent events have only proofed that."

"They sure have," I said, smiling at Libby who was enjoying some of the snacks that had been left for us on the table.

"So," she stated. "Can I have a baby brother now?"

"I think you just have to wait patiently," I laughed as Alice shoved me behind the curtain again.

The next two dresses were pretty enough, but they didn't really suit me. One appeared to be made for a giant, or someone more like Rose because the hem was dragging two feet behind me on the floor, the other one was just 'dull as dishwater' as Alice put it.

The fourth dress had me almost on the floor, laughing my ass off as I took a glance at myself in the mirror.

"What do you think I am Alice?" I yelled, shocking the shop girls who were still cowering in a distant corner. "A bloody Christmas tree?"

The dress looked way too much like Libby's. It had tiers that reminded me of the ruffles on the pink monstrosity my daughter would be wearing and the beaded gold orbs that were sown along the waist and neckline reminded me of Christmas ornaments.

"Just go change!" Alice huffed, escorting me behind the curtain again. I caught a compassionate glance from Esme and Libby right before the evil pixie closed the curtain again.

As I tried on the last dress I knew we had hit the jackpot. I liked everything about it. The color, the simple but elegant lines, the way it felt against my skin. Luckily the rest of the girls agreed.

Finding a dress for Esme was a lot easier since she had much more experience in the world of evening attire. She just filed through the rack and picked out the dress she liked best. Amazingly, it fit her like a glove, the gorgeous gold sequins on the top setting off her caramel hair perfectly and accentuating her slim yet curvy figure.

We headed home after that, much to my relief. I had been away from Edward too long, not wanting to think about all the bad things that could happen when you unleash three guys holding rifles in a forest with a flask of hard liquor.

--

EPOV

--

It had been a few days now since that morning when Bella had decided to tale control but I still felt it like it had been minutes ago.

It had been heaven.

It had been hell.

Fuck. It had been fantastic.

Only the thought of Bella straddling me, riding me was enough to almost make me come unglued. I had been a mess all day, much to the amusement of Carlisle and Jasper. In the end they had ordered me to walk up front, none of them wanted me to walk behind them holding a loaded rifle in the state I was in.

Unfortunately the event had reduced me to a somewhat less wholesome state. I don't know how she had done it or what she had triggered within me but these days I felt like a horny fifteen year old boy all over again.

Which was hard – literally – considering that we were still in my parents house and surrounded by other people almost all of the time.

It wasn't like I had been running around sporting a raging hard on all the time. We had spend some quality time with the three of us as a family as well. I had taken Bella and Libby to see the sights of Chicago and to show them around the placed where I had grown up.

Bella had been like a child opening presents on Christmas morning when I showed her around town. I didn't think anyone could get so excited from seeing plain old Chicago, but apparently Bella liked it here. Libby had caught on to her enthusiasm and the two of them had been practically skipping around town all day.

I chuckled at the memory. When we had first been invited to Chicago I had been dreading the trip. Previous trips had always left me completely drained and miserable. As many good memories as the place held for me, there was always the pain that accompanied it.

The loss of my parents.

The shame of my first years at college.

The overwhelming and never faltering anguish and pain I had felt those first few weeks after I had lost Bella.

I had felt virtually none of that this time. It was still there but it was like all those memories had become echoes of a long lost feeling. The stitches had finally closed and finally, after almost thirty years I was able to really heal.

I had my two girls to thank for that. Ever since I had found them and our bond had grown I had felt more secure. More safe. Slowly but surely the pain had subsided and the fear of being left alone in the dark had slowly waned.

The real turning point had been when Bella had accepted my proposal. Up until then I had still been scared to let it all in, to let go of the shield I had crafted against the pain. Somehow when she said 'yes' the whole thing had come shattering down, leaving my soul completely naked and open.

I was startled out of my reverie by Esme coming down the stairs. I had been skulking in the foyer for quite some time now in the hope of catching a glimpse of the two women I loved coming down the stairs. So far I had had no luck.

Alice had locked the both of them up in her room, taking Rose's example in declaring it a 'penis-free zone' and no effort had enabled me to skip past her. I swear the security on her bedroom door rivaled that of Fort Knox.

"Patience Edward," Esme chuckled, seeing my disappointed look. "They will be down shorty. Now, will you help me getting things set up for our guests?"

I sighed, nodding. I would much rather keep to my post, but I couldn't very well leave my mother to do all the work herself. Jasper and Carlisle had gone out to get some last minute supplies leaving us to get the house ready.

We quickly went over everything again, Esme giving directions to the waiting staff as I checked to see if everything was ready. I kept my ears pricked up for any sign that Bella and Libby might be approaching.

Finally I heard giggles coming from the top of the stairs and I sprinted into the foyer, right on time to catch Libby flying off the stairs in a pink dress.

Definitely something Libby or Alice picked out.

"How do I look daddy?" she asked, spinning around in front of me.

"You look like a little princes!" I said, picking her up.

"Wait until you see mommy!' she yelled in my ear. "Aunt Alice says she looks like a goddess!"

"Aunt Alice overreacts!" the voice of my angel sounded from the top of the stairs.

"No she doesn't," I whispered, gasping as I took in her form. She truly looked like a goddess tonight.

She wore a beautiful powder blue dress that clung to her every curve and flowed around her like a river around a pebble. Alice had kept her hair and makeup simple, just highlighting her best features.

Her brown eyes sparkled as they met mine, coming closer as she slowly descended from the stairs, holding the banister in a vise-like grip.

"You look amazing my love," I whispered as I was finally able to embrace her in my arms again.

"You don't look half bad yourself either," she chuckled as she snuggled into my chest. I wanted nothing more than to stand here all night with my beautiful angel in my arms. Or perhaps retreat upstairs to really show her what kind of effect she had on me when she looked like this. That was, if she hadn't felt it already.

"It's like comparing a candle to the moon my love," I argued. Even though she had gotten better at accepting compliments she still didn't see herself clearly. I would have to work on that tonight.

I kissed her hair, her neck, any place I could reach as my hands trailed up and down her sides a huge grin spreading on my face as I felt her shiver in reaction, edging me on even further.

"And what am I? Chopped liver?" Alice complained, standing at the bottom step.

"You look very nice as well," I replied, without ever even looking at her. There were a few other choice words I would have added to that, angry because she had broken the perfect bubble Bella and I had been in, but with my mother near I thought better of it.

"Why do you always have to ruin everything?' I snarled as we walked into the living room.

"Oh please!" she huffed, rolling her eyes at me. "You looked like you were getting ready to throw her over your shoulder and drag her back to your cave!"

"Did not," I argued.

"Oh really?" she smirked shooting a quick glance over the front of my pants. I quickly pulled the two sides of my jackets together, buttoning it in an effort to hide the effect Bella had on me. "You could have fooled me." With that she skipped off in the direction of Bella, Esme and Libby.

"Just take a minute son," Carlisle laughed, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Take a few breaths and visualize an aortic rupture. Works like a charm for me."

I took his advise, feeling my problem disappear as I started running the list of procedures needed to repair the burst aorta in my head. When I felt like I was in control of myself again I joined the rest of my family in the living room, seeing the lights of the first guests approaching in the distance.

"Thanks dad," I said as I walked past Carlisle. It had been so much easier lately to use to words 'mom' and 'dad' when I talked to Carlisle and Esme and I aught myself even using them in my head. It didn't feel like as much like treachery anymore.

Over the last few days I had had a few more conversations with Carlisle about my parents. He had showed me pictures of them and recounted stories about my father's childhood. It felt like after all these years I could finally give my feelings bout them a place instead of just hiding them.

I didn't have much time to think about it since the first of the many guests that Esme had invited arrived at the house and I took up my place next to Bella and Libby to greet them.

"I thought Esme said this would only be a small party," Bella muttered under her breath as we greeted yet another couple of guests. We had been standing here for the best part of an hour, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries.

"Believe me love," I chuckled. "Esme would consider this a small party."

I heard her groan.

"I think most of the people invited have arrived though," I soothed, placing my hand on the small of her back.

"Thanks God," Bella muttered, "Because if I have to make more smalltalk about the weather I might commit a felony."

"You're doing fine love," I laughed, sneaking in a chaste kiss. In fact, she and Libby had been quite a hit with our guests. Libby was turning out to be a natural at these kind of things, wrapping all of Chicago's finest around her little finger in the beat of a heart.

She was standing a little distance away from us, surrounded by at least five older women, recounting a story that had her audience squealing and gushing with delight.

I looked across the room, noticing how Esme and Carlisle were talking animatedly to some of their friends, my fathers hand wrapped tightly around Esme's waist and I wished once again that in thirty years from now Bella and I would still be as happy as they were now.

Alice seemed to be enjoying herself as well. She was standing in the middle of the living room, showing off her boyfriend to all of our assembled family friends. I knew she had often looked at these kind of functions with mixed feelings. As much as she liked the dressing up aspect of it, I knew that she always felt like the odd one out. Poor Jasper looked a bit uncomfortable though, being ogled by an army of perverted middle aged women whose faces had been botoxed into expressionlessness.

"Edward," the voice of Alistair, one of Carlisle's friends from Oxford pulled me back onto the here and now.

"Alistair, I didn't know you had come over from London again!" I replied, shaking his hand. Alistair had been one of Carlisle's friends when he was studying at Oxford University. They had kept in touch after that, even though Alistair Harrison was one of the strangest people I'd met.

"We're only here for the holidays, the lovely wife missed her family," he explained. I knew poor Bunny must have been begging him for ages since Alistair was never one to leave his study, let alone the country if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

Alistair had always been odd. He was scared of almost everything, and it still amazed me how he was able to leave the safety of his house everyday to go to his job at the British Library. Since September eleventh it had been virtually impossible according to Carlisle to get him to visit the States, even though his American born wife and friends had tried to persuade him many times.

"Alistair, Bunny," I said, pulling Bella a little tighter against me, "I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Isabella Swan and my daughter Libby," I pointed over to Libby who was still entertaining my parent's guests. "Isabella, this is my fathers old study fried Alistair Harrison and his wife Bunny."

I felt Bella shake a little at the mention of the name 'Bunny'. I guess I should have prepared her a little for the tendency rich people had to give their children the most idiotic names in the world. Luckily she managed to bite back her snort.

"It's a pleasure," Bunny said warmly, shaking Bella's hand. "Dear Edward never told me he was seeing someone."

"We only got acquainted recently," I explained, not wanting to get into too much detail.

"But.....?" Bunny said confused, looking from Libby to Bella and me.

"Long story," I chuckled.

"I see," Alistair said. It was clear he was developing his own version of our story, naturally involving various plots and evil schemes.

"Bunny?" Bella cried as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Don't ask," I laughed. "She doesn't even have the strangest name I have ever encountered, though her maiden name – Bunny Shooter – comes close."

"So there are stranger names out there?" she asked, surveying the room.

"I guess Tipsy O'Malley couldn't make it tonight," I laughed, noticing the look of shock on her face. "And of course Nessie Adams is still in hospital after her last round of liposuction."

"You've got to be kidding me," she said in horror. "Those parents should be drawn and quartered for doing that to their child."

"Do you want to dance?" I asked, as the music started.

"Actually I do," she smiled, amazed at her won boldness. "Is that very odd of me?"

"I stopped being shocked by the things you do a few days ago," I chuckled, watching Bella's blush spread over her face. "It's better for my heart."

"Sorry," she muttered, hiding her face in my chest as we started to move slowly on the beat of the music.

"Don't ever be sorry for giving me the most mind blowing sex in history," I whispered. "In fact, I wouldn't mind if you did that every day for the rest of our lives."

"Stop it!" she scolded, "I'm this close to attacking you in front of everyone."

"As much as I would love it if you did," I replied, "I can see how that would make things a little bit.......awkward."

I rested my head against hers as we danced, thanking God that it was a slow song since the style of dancing enabled me to be as close to my Bella as I wanted to be. I recognized the tune as one of Esme's favorites.

_Why do birds suddenly appear  
Every time you are near?  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you. _

As the second verse set in I noticed how Bella's sweet, almost heavenly voice mingled with Karen Carpenter's.

_Why do stars fall down from the sky  
Every time you walk by?  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you. _

_On the day that you were born  
The angels got together  
And decided to create a dream come true  
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold  
And starlight in your eyes of __green__. _

_That is why all the girls in town  
Follow you all around.  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you. _

Bella's voice was so beautiful and it never faltered as she sang her declaration of love to me. I had never heard her sing before and I knew that she was shy about her voice even though Emmett had told me some time ago that she could sing much better than most of the women on the radio.

I pulled her a little bit closer to me, almost afraid I would crush her, but I couldn't stand even the slightest distance between us at the moment. She was my all. My everything.

And she loved me.

_On the day that you were born  
The angels got together  
And decided to create a dream come true  
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold  
And starlight in your eyes of green. _

_That is why all the girls in town _

_Follow you all around.  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you.  
Just like me (Just like me)  
They long to be  
Close to you. _

"I love you," I croaked, my voice thick with emotion. "I don't want any other girl in town. I only have eyes for you."

"You will always have my heart," she whispered right before my lips crashed to hers. For a moment all the people around us were forgotten. It was just the two of us.

Here in paradise.

When I finally managed to pull myself away from her I noticed we had attracted quite the audience. Esme had her hands clasped over her head, tears streaming down her face as she watched us, Alice standing next to her with an amused smile on her lips.

"Let's get back to our family, my love," I offered, "before I become totally unable to ever let you go again." She smiled, following me to where Esme and Alice were standing.

The rest of the evening was spend mingling with the guests and dancing. Bella even allowed Carlisle to lead her through a waltz, but only after he had assured her that I had learned all my 'tricks' from him.

After a few hours Libby had crawled into my lap and fallen into a deep sleep. I had carried her up the stairs and carefully tucked her in. I knew she would be disappointed in the morning that she hadn't made it to midnight but there would be other years for her.

All too soon the clock neared twelve and Carlisle scraped his throat, announcing his annual New Year's speech.

"My friends and family," he started, looking around the room. "It had been quite a year. Not only have we all been blessed with health and prosperity, we have also been particularly blessed in being able to welcome three new members into our family."

I wrapped my arms a little closer around Bella's waist, noticing to my amusement that Alice had done the same to Jasper.

"They have made out family whole in more ways than one and therefore I find it a privilege to announce my sons engagement to one of the most remarkable women I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I ask you all to raise your glass and drink to the happy couple and to their love and prosperity."

Bella blushed feverishly as everyone looked at us, raising their glass and joining in the toast.

"To love......forever," I whispered in her ear as I kissed her lightly.

"I'll drink to that," she replied, as we linked our arms and drank.

_**I had to have The Carpenters in my story somewhere. I've loved their music ever since my mom played it for me when I was about five years old.**_

_**I managed to sneak in reverences to both my maternal grandparents in this chapter. My dear departed granddad was an avid hunter (the bit about someone getting shot in the ass actually happened) and Esme at the shop was based on my grandmother who (thank God) is still alive and kicking.**_

_**For all of you who are experiencing toothaches after all the peace love and harmony in the last few chapters: don't worry, there will be some serious clouds on the horizon as we start building up to the climax of this story. Shit will start hitting fans in the next chapter.**_

_**Please let me know what you thought of this, while I go celebrate some more......... **_


	33. 27 dresses

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

_**Pictures of the three dresses discussed in this chapter can be found on my profile. I had a hard time choosing the dress I liked most. In the end I went for the one that most reminded me of the vintagy feel of the dress in Breaking Dawn. Please let me know if I picked the right one.**_

**27 dresses.**

"Can't you go any faster than this?" I complained, willing the taxi driver to drive faster than the snails pace he was currently driving at.

"Only if you manage to make all the other cars go away sweetheart," the taxi driver spat back sarcastically.

I sighed, letting my head loll against the back seat of the taxi. It hand been a long day.

A long and exhausting day.

How many dresses had the evil trio forced me into again?

Oh yeah.

Twenty seven.

Twenty fucking seven.

I was exhausted, my skin chafed by dressing and undressing so many times. Only the holy trinity of home, bathtub and Edward – preferable all three at once – could make me feel better now but I now saw that opportunity slipping slowly away from me.

I had only one hour of Edward-induced comfort – that was, if that jackass of a driver would hurry up – before he had to leave for another grueling twenty-four hour shift.

It wasn't supposed to have gone like this.

I had actually been optimistic when Esme, Libby and I had left the house this morning. Alice had told me that she and Rose had scouted a few dresses and had arranged to have them ready for us at the bridal shop. Little did I know then that 'a few' didn't mean about five or six to them, but nearly thirty.

It wasn't as if I hadn't tried to resist them or at least get out of trying each and every one on but all of my remonstrances had been laughed off.

--

FLASHBACK

--

"You've got to be kidding me," I huffed at Alice and Rose as they stood proudly beside an ocean of dresses in every variety of white know to man.

They just grinned at me.

"Hi Bella," Alice finally waved innocently. "I hope you're ready to try on some dresses today."

"Some?" I groaned, looking from Alice to the dresses, to Rosalie and back to the dresses again. It was a good thing that both of my hands were being held that moment or they would undoubtedly have ended up around the evil pixie's skinny little neck.

"If you want to find the perfect dress you'll have to try out everything," Rosalie chimed in. "Just for elimination's sake."

They looked like psychopaths, the way they were standing there, grinning at me like they had been taken over by evil body snatchers.

"Please tell me this is a joke," I pleaded as Alice hopped over to us.

"Nope," she chuckled, popping the 'p'. "You know I never joke about fashion."

I mouthed a 'help me' to Esme as Alice and Rose started to direct me into a fitting room, handing me a dress that looked more like a huge meringue than something you could actually wear. She put her hands out in front of her as if to say she was powerless to stop them.

"I thought I told you what I liked and especially what I didn't like?" I complained as Alice helped me into the gown.

"You did," she admitted. "But we thought it better you tried on some dresses you wouldn't originally pick anyway. Just so that – at the end of the day – you are absolutely certain the dress you pick is the right one."

"It's just a dress Alice," I snickered. She was acting like we were going to find the solution to global warming today.

"It's the most important dress of your life," Rose scoffed from the other side of the fitting room.

I decided this was not the moment when I told that before I had met Edward I had only envisioned myself getting married in just jeans and a t-shirt, maybe a skirt if I was really feeling the moment. That was, if I had wanted to get married at all.

"Yeah, and only twenty people tops will get to see it, so I don't really see what the big deal is all about," I retorted.

The three snorts, two loud ones and one baby snort coming from Libby, reminded me of the fact that most of my wedding support group still wasn't resigned to the whole private, intimate wedding arrangement Edward and I had devised.

"Are you ever coming out of there?" Libby whined impatiently.

"No," I yelled back. "I like it here and there is no way I'm showing myself in this stupid piece of cotton candy."

Before I could hide deeper into the small cubicle Alice had shoved the curtain aside and yanked me out of my little safe haven. "Quit moaning," she ordered, stepping back so she could look at me.

She took her time, taking in my appearance from top to bottom while pursing her lip before glancing over to Rose, Esme and Libby who were mimicking her facial expression. "What do you think?" she asked them

"I like the bows," Libby offered while Rose and Esme shook their head.

"Yeah," Alice sighed. "Just what I thought. Not you."

My jaw fell. I could have told her that minutes ago, without having to worm my way into this thing!

"Let's try on the next one," she said in a chipper voice, handing me another dress to try on.

The rest of the day passed in much the same way with Alice, Rose, Esme and Libby picking out dresses for me to try on and me parading them in front of them. In the end we found three dresses I really liked, ironically enough all three of them suggested by a different woman.

I really didn't expect to like the first one as much as I did. It had been one of Alice's 'think outside the box' dresses. It had a train and the straps fell off the shoulder but somehow the delicate gold colored embroidery and the way it clung to my body made up for that.

As soon as I had tried it on I knew we were on to a winner. I don't know why – I hadn't even seen how it looked yet – but it just felt 'right'.

"See!" Alice squealed, jumping up and down as I exited the little cubicle. "I told you to keep an open mind" I growled, hating the fact that the almighty pixie had been right yet again.

The next dress I really liked was one Rose suggested. She knew how much I had liked the bridesmaid's dress she had picked for me so when it came to her suggestion she picked out a dress much like that one: classic and elegant. The shiny, ivory satin flowing around me like a waterfall while the corseted bodice did wonders for my posture and cleavage. I loved the details on this, the little diamond encrusted brooch at the left waist where the fabric of the tight bodice and the flowing skirt met, the small train and the low back.......

"Score!" Rose yelled as soon as she saw me, hi-fiveing Libby who – as I later found out – had been her accomplice in finding the dress.

"You've been spending way too much time with that husband of yours!" I chuckled.

"Yeah," she admitted impatiently, "but am I right or am I right?"

"You're right Rose," I admitted, rolling my eyes. "I love it."

"I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" she gushed, channeling a lot of Alice.

"Time for my suggestion," Esme chuckled, handing me another gown. "I hope you like it dear."

"I have no doubt about it," I replied, taking the gown from her.

As soon as I had put it on - the corseted back requiring some help – I knew we were on to another winner. The dress was different from the other ones but yet still related to the both of them. It was romantic - like the one Alice had suggested – but still simple like Rose's pick. The beautiful lace that covered the satin of the dress giving it just that little bit of extra appeal.

The gold ribbon that started right under the bust and met at the back in a bow wasn't something I'd usually pick but I had to admit that it was beautiful and – now that I saw it on me – I really loved it.

In a way it reminded me of the picture of Esme on her wedding day she had showed me when we had been in Chicago. Though the dress didn't really look the same, it still radiated the same feelings. Love. Summer. Romance.

"I love that dress mommy," Libby said, moving slowly around me as I walked out of the changing room. "I think it's very pretty."

"So do I sweetie," I said, taking in the reflection in the mirror, a strange, statuesque and – dare I say it – almost graceful person staring back at me. "So do I."

It was then that I noticed that the world around me had become strangely quiet. I tore myself away from ogling the dress to see Alice, Rose and Esme staring at me with a strange sense of awe in their eyes.

"I think we've found us a dress," Alice whispered, carefully fingering the lace on the edges of the cap sleeves.

"Edward is going to die when he sees you in this," Rose added.

"Then I guess I'd better pick another one," I laughed. "I don't intend to go through this nonsense just to end up a widow!"

"It would just be your luck," Rose replied, playfully swatting my shoulder.

"What do you think Esme?" I asked. I hadn't hear her opinion yet.

"I think you look lovely," Esme said with tears in her eyed. "You remind me so much of Elizabeth when you're in that dress."

"Really?" From what I had seen I looked noting like her. She was tall, graceful and had that fragile kind of beauty that every girl desperately craves.

"When you walked out in that dress you had the same kind of glow about you that Elizabeth had on her wedding day," she explained. "She just seemed to be floating on air."

"But mom?" Alice seemed puzzled by something. "I thought you and dad hadn't met when uncle Ed and aunt Elizabeth got married?"

"We hadn't," she smiled. "But since their wedding was as much a social event as it was a joining of two souls all the important families in town had been invited."

Her eyes turned distant, reliving the memories as she continued. "I remember seeing Elizabeth walk down the isle on the arm of her father. She looked so happy and in love. I remember thinking that if only I could be half as happy as she was at that moment I would be perfectly content." She paused, looking at the wedding ring on her finger. "That's when I got my first glimpse of Carlisle."

"You actually met at their wedding?" Rose asked.

"Unfortunately I couldn't say we met," Esme smiled. "I didn't have the nerve to talk to him and he wasn't the least bit interested in the other wedding guests at that time. I can remember how I stared at him all through the reception, hoping he would acknowledge me in any way at all. I was so disappointed when he didn't that I cried myself to sleep that night, thinking I had gone completely mental for crying over a guy who didn't even know I existed."

"But dad always told me you fell in love at first sight?" Alice asked, completely puzzled. "You met at the hospital."

"I didn't have the heart to tell him the truth," Esme replied, her amusement clear on her face. "He loves telling that story so much. It would break his poor heart to find out he didn't even notice me when we first met!"

"The things I could do with this little piece of information," Alice mused jokingly.

"If you tell him I'm mailing Jasper those pictures you keep hidden under the floorboards in your old bedroom," Esme warned.

"You wouldn't....." Alice whispered in horror.

"What do they show?" I asked. It must be something to get such a reaction out of the little pixie. I don't think I'd ever seen her as embarrassed as she was that moment.

"Let's just say my darling daughter didn't always have the immaculate fashion sense she has today," Esme giggled.

"Let me guess," Rose chimed in. "Pink, leopard leggings and a camel toe to match?"

"How did you know?" Alice groaned, still dazed.

"You just told us," Rose laughed. "It was just a good guess since you grew up around the same time as I did."

I was happy that the attention seemed to have shifted to someone else for a little while because I was really starting to feel the effects of trying on dresses for almost six hours. I made use of the fact that both Alice and Rose had launched into a heated run-down of everything they hated of late eighties and early nineteens fashion by fumbling through my purse for my phone to sneak in a call to Edward.

"_Hello my love,"_ I heard his velvety voice purr when he picked up after the second ring. _"How is the shopping trip going?" _

"_I'm in hell,"_ I groaned under my breath. _"They have forced me into almost thirty dresses so far, not even stopping for lunch. I miss you." _

"_You know I'd be with you in a heartbeat if it wouldn't be bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the big day," _he sighed. _"And knowing Alice disaster will strike as soon as I show my face." _

"_I know,"_ I sighed, reveling in the tone of his voice. _"I just don't know how much more I can take. I'm starting to get satin burns." _

"_Satin burns?"_ I could almost hear him pull up his eyebrows.

"_You know, carpet burn caused by satin," _I explained, trying to keep as stealthy as possible.

"_I never knew you could get that from satin,"_ he chuckled.

"_Well you go try on thirty odd gowns as see if you don't get chafed skin!"_ I growled. _"And still she's not letting me go! I swear that pixie should come with a health and safety warning."_

"Bella! What the fuck do you think you're doing!" said pixie yelled in my other ear.

"I'm calling my fiancé for moral support," I yelled back. "And don't use that kind of language around my kid!"

"_Let me talk to my sister,"_ Edward asked in my other ear.

"Alice, Edward wants to talk to you," I said, shoving the phone in her hands.

I watched her expression as the two of them talked. It changed from chipper and sarcastic to evil and vindictive.

"You can't just come and claim her Eddie boy," she chuckled. "I get to play with her today."

I heard Rose snicker as I pulled up my eyebrows. From the sound of it they were arguing like a bunch of toddlers.

"Just imagine what it was like when they were both in their teens," Esme whispered. "When Edward wasn't off skulking in the woods or up in his room listening to music, they would bicker all day."

"There's no need to go all Gollem over her," Alice huffed into the receiver. "You're acting like I've been attacking her with hot pokers."

"I do hope Edward succeeds," I whispered, stifling a yawn. "I'm really tired."

"I'm sure Alice will come to her senses," Esme soothed. "And I'll talk to her if she doesn't."

"Al right," Alice finally sighed. "I'll let her go. But don't go complaining to me of she looks like a train wreck on her wedding day!"

Even I could hear Edward holler abuse at Alice.

"Geez, don't get your panties in a bunch," Alice huffed. "I told you I'd let her go!" With that she snapped the phone shut, breaking the connection.

"Hey! I wanted to talk to Edward some more!" I complained as she threw the thing back at me.

"You can talk to him all you like as I'm under strict orders to let you go," she growled at me.

"Alice!" Esme scolded amidst her giggles. I guess to the others this must have looked wildly amusing. To me, however, it looked like once again they were treating me like a kid in a custody court.

"Are they acting like this all the time?" Rose hiccuped. "'Cause if they do I'm bringing some popcorn with me the next time we are coming over."

"Come on Libby," I sighed, glaring at my annoying sister in law. "Let's go home."

"How about I take her with me for a while so you can get a little rest?" Esme offered, turning to Libby. "You could go give me a tour around the Natural History Museum?"

"Can I mommy?" Libby pleaded. Esme had really hit home on her suggestion. Libby was almost as crazy about that museum as she was about seeing live animals. Especially the huge dinosaur skeletons could keep her wrapped up in wonder for ages. We had been to the museum so often by now I felt like I could give the tour just as well as most of the guides.

"Of course you can sweetie," I said, kissing the top of her head.

"Give daddy a kiss for me!" she said as she ran to collect her things, dragging Esme behind her.

"Oh, I'm sure she will!" Rose grinned evilly.

"Yeah, because you're the Virgin Mary!" I retorted, rolling my eyes.

--

END OF FLASHBACK

--

And so I found myself creeping through traffic a few moments later, hoping a miracle would happen that would allow me some more time to snuggle with Edward before he had to leave.

Things had been different – better- ever since we had gotten back from Chicago. Edward and I had been closer than ever, which made the time we had to spend apart even harder on us. He had even slowly but surely started to open up about his parents.

The first time he had spoken to me about them was when he got back from his hunting trip. We had been sitting in the window seat in his room, looking at the forest outside and he had told me about the conversation he had had with Carlisle the day before.

He had told me how little he knew of the people that brought him into this world and how much that fact pained him and how it had haunted him throughout his adolescence. I knew he still struggled with it. Not just the loss, but especially the cycle of guilt he had worked himself into.

He loved Carlisle and Esme like they were his real parents – and in a way they were, since they had raised him from the age of two – but by doing so he felt like he was betraying Edward senior and Elizabeth so he held back. Sure, he called Esme and Carlisle mom and dad, but even they knew it was more out of a sense of duty. I think every time he did it he felt like he was betraying his birth parents.

However, by doing so he also felt like an unworthy adoptive son to Carlisle and Esme. They had taken him in when he had no one else to go to and had raised him as if he was their own child. Surely they deserved to be treated as such!

I tried to help him cope with all these feelings and work through his pain as best as I could, though there weren't that many thing I could say and they had probably been said to him a million times before. I tried telling him that he could be faithful to the memory of his parents and still allow himself to be Carlisle and Esme's son.

He sighed, told me I was right and went back to staring out of the window but I knew things weren't as simple as that though. I wished they were.

We finally rounded the corner to our street and after paying the driver I all but sprinted out of the car and flew into the house for a few minutes of comfort in the arms of the man I loved.

--

EPOV

--

"Come on you pussy!" Emmett whined. "This is supposed to be a manly morning! We're supposed to be having fun. Not mope around because our women aren't here!"

"Aren't you supposed to be happy that I'd rather spend time with your sister than scratch my ass and talk about sports?" I replied.

"We don't just talk about it, we actually get to do it," Emmett grinned, ignoring the rest of my remark as he tapped me on the hat with his baseball bat. "And besides, you don't see Jasper going all emo because your sister isn't here."

I sighed, knowing there was no way I could explain the pull I felt towards Bella to him that wouldn't have Emmett rolling over the floor with laughter.

"You think he was enjoying himself a little too much, wouldn't you?" I chuckled, looking over at Jasper who was taking his turn in the batting cages, much to the delight of most of the women that had been dragged to this place by their partners.

They had just looked bored until Jasper had stepped up to the plate, now they looked aroused and ready to pounce at any given moment. Or orgasm. Or both.

Jasper, reveling in the attention, was pulling out all the stops. He swung his bat around, flipping it over and catching it again without so much as blinking an eye. A few of the women looked like they were going to applaud.

"Show off," Emmett grumbled as Jasper made his way back to us, handing me the bat.

I prepared myself, crouching slightly so that I was in the right position to strike, all the while trying to forget the ogling women behind me.

"Nice ass sweetheart!" I heard Emmett yell at me, followed by a concert of wolf whistles.

"Dick!" I yelled back, flipping him off before I assumed position again.

After we were done we grabbed a burger somewhere before I went back home, hoping Bella would be there though I knew better. She and my mom had left to go shopping for a wedding dress and – seeing that Alice and Rose were with them – I wouldn't have to expect her back until closing time.

I really hoped to be able to see her before I had to go into work. I had to cover for Kate tomorrow since she would be going to Tanya's wedding.

We had all been shocked when Kate had received a call from her dear sister three days ago in the middle of rounds, informing her that not only had she met the man of her dreams, she was going to marry him before they had even reached the one month mark.

As glad as I was that Tanya wouldn't be causing more problems for Bella and me I couldn't help but wonder how long the marriage was going to last. I had no doubt that Tanya had chosen her target well, she was too smart not to go for someone rich and silly enough to marry her without signing a prenuptial agreement.

I spend two hours doing odd chores around the house while trying to avoid looking at the clock and coming to close to the phone. Most of all I tried not to think of Bella in a wedding gown.

I tried not to think about that while I did the dishes, meanwhile pondering whether Bella would go for a traditional or a more modern design.

I tried not to think about it while I prepared for some of the procedures I was scheduled to perform tomorrow though my mind wandered to the thought of seeing her walk down the isle to meet me.

And I tried not to think about it while playing the piano, though I had had to admit to myself that I was doing a very poor job at not thinking about her..

I was snapped out of my pleasant state of denial by the sound of the phone ringing.

'Please let it be Bella," I thought as I sprinted to the table to pick it up. I inwardly squealed a little as I saw her name on the screen.

After talking to her and my sister I felt slightly better, knowing that Bella would soon be released from the clutches of my evil sister and sister in law and back in my arms where she belonged.

Alice had been her usual, annoying self - demanding Bella would give in to her need to shop until someone literally dropped – but in the end she had to yield when I threatened to tell Jasper all about the crush she had on Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys when she was in Middle School.

I made a quick call to Garrett, asking him to cover for me for the first hour of my shift before walking upstairs to run a bath, knowing Bella would probably be in desperate need for one when she came home. The tub was just about filling with water and freesia scented bubbles when I heard the front door opening.

"Edward?" Bella's voice sounded from downstairs.

"I'm up here, in the bathroom," I yelled back.

Bella looked exhausted when she entered the bathroom but the expression on her face when she saw the bathtub - fully filled and ready to go - was priceless. She looked like a child who had just discovered the first snow of the winter had fallen down.

"I love you," she said, dropping her purse down on the floor. "And you said you couldn't read minds!"

"I thought you might like a bath after your ordeal," I said, remembering all the times she had had a bath or even a warm bed prepared for me after I had come home from a long shift at the hospital.

I helped her out of her clothes, using every bit of self control I had not to let my hands wander too much. I had to remind myself over and over again that Bella was tired and sore after a day of shopping and would probably not be interested in hot steamy sex or we wouldn't even have made it into the water.

"Care to join me?' she asked as she moved her tiny hands over the buttons of my shirt.

"I thought you'd never ask," I chuckled, pulling the thing over my head and quickly shedding my pants and boxers.

I slid into the water, holding out my hand to help her in. She sat down in front of me, her head leaning against my chest as I held her close to me, humming some random tunes to help her relax.

"I think I've died and gone to heaven," she sighed after a while, her hands trailing over my legs.

I couldn't help but agree as I breathed in her scent, kissing the sensitive spot at the base of her neck. If I could remain her all day for the rest of my life I would have been perfectly happy. I knew though that between now and thirty minutes I would have to leave our bubble and subject myself to another twenty four hours of hard work.

"Do you want me to help you wash your back?" I asked, grabbing the lufa from behind me.

"Yes please," she sighed, leaning forward so I could reach her.

"You weren't kidding!" I all but yelled, noticing the angry red streaks on the skin of her shoulders. "You really do have satin burns!"

"What? Did you think I was overreacting?"

'Tread carefully Edward,' I told myself. 'Don't say anything you will regret later.'

"No of course not!' I said hastily. "It's just that I couldn't really get my mind around the whole satin burn concept."

"Nice safe," she chuckled as I slowly and carefully caressed the surface of her body with the lufa.

"I thought so myself too," I laughed back.

I saw that Bella was comfortably installed downstairs before I made my way to the hospital. The memory of the time we had spend in the bath just about enough to tie me over until I would have her in my arms again.

--

About a week later Jacob and I were walking back to the house after a workout at the gym. Jacob had called us about a week ago saying he was going to be in town on business for a couple of days. Of course Bella had immediately ordered him to stay over at our place.

A strange thing had happened after that. Jacob had said something I couldn't hear, causing Bella to tense up instantly. She only relaxed after a few minutes when Jacob had said or explained whatever it was that had her upset.

When I asked her about it later she just shrugged it off as nothing important thought I knew that was a lie. Bella had never been good at hiding things or bending the truth. Whenever she tried she just blushed furiously and hid her face behind her hair to hide it. You didn't really need a polygraph to know she was editing.

The fact that Bella still kept things from me still scared me a little. I knew it was naive of me to think that Bella would share everything with me – every relationship had it's secrets – but I had dreamed that we were different. The fact that she _was _hiding something filled me with an awful sense of foreboding.

Perhaps it was just because we had been too happy lately. Ever since we had returned from Chicago we had been living in a perfect little bubble of the three of us, going about our lives in a way that would even have the Cosby's see green with envy. It made me almost uncomfortable. We were too happy. Something had to come up to violently burst our bubble.

Sure, there had been minor things. Bella had been so busy with the excursion and the planning of our wedding. I worried sometimes that she was over stretching herself. She always wanted everything to be happy and to please everyone but she had to realize sometimes that she had herself to think about as well.

Like that day when she went out shopping for wedding dresses with the rest of the girls. She should have put her foot down and refused to try on anything else after the tenth dress, but she didn't want to disappoint the others.

She was making progress though. Even yesterday she had put her foot down and refused to spend another night going over wedding stuff with Alice and Rose. I also saw it in the way they had been organizing the event. Bella stuck to our plans of keeping it simple and private and defended them to the teeth. It made me proud of her, even though I felt guilty for not being able to help her out with the plans more.

I had been making some progress of my own as well. I had been able to talk more about my parents than I had been all my life. I guess it had something to do with the fact that I had a family of my own to fall back on now. They were my strength, my lifeline, my comfort.

"You okay?" Jacob grinned. "You look like you were miles away!"

"I'm fine," I said, grumbling at the unwelcome intrusion on my thoughts.

I was okay with Jacob being here. Really. He was okay once you got to know him and apart from that he was an important aspects of Bella's life and I could see how my angel loved having him around. Watching the two of them together was quite a sight to behold. Sometimes it was hard to tell they were even friends because of all the bickering they did.

It would start with one of them saying something, the other disagreeing and progress from that point to a heated discussion with limbs flying in all directions and both of them calling the other an idiot. In the end they would simply bust out laughing at their own silliness and go on with what they were doing until the next argument would arise.

It would have been fun an perfectly okay with me if there hadn't been that gnawing feeling at the back of my head that told me not to trust Jacob. I knew I was an idiot. Bella loved me and even if Jake would stand in front of her stark naked with a rose clamped in between his but cheeks declaring his everlasting love for her all she would do was laugh. I felt sure of her, as she felt sure of me.

Still, I knew that part of Jacob would always be in love with her and part of me would always hate him for it, even though he didn't form a threat to my family right now. The fact that he had loved Bella and that some part of hims was still in love with her made me feel uneasy. My instincts had always been right on the mark and I knew a possible threat when I saw one.

And Jacob was most definitely a possible threat.

"Oh, by the way"do you know what happened between Bella and Leah?" Jacob asked as he threw his bag into a corner of the room and started packing his suitcase. He was leaving in a few hours.

"No," I replied. "I didn't even know something was wrong between them."

"I didn't know either," he explained, "until Leah changed her mind about joining me as soon as she found out we would be staying here. Perhaps Bella said something to her."

"And what makes you think it was Bella who did something wrong?" I half growled. I could not believe this guy. One moment he was trying to weasel himself in between Bella and me and the next he was half accusing my angel of driving him and that sourly looking girlfriend of him apart.

"I know for a fact that Leah would be nothing but nice to her," he stated, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Is that so?" I couldn't hide my sarcasm at his statement. "I think I've heard differently."

"She may have been a bit hostile in the past but that was because she was jealous," Jacob snarled. "Right now she has nothing to be jealous about so there is no reason for her to be anything but nice."

"You should go into politics," I snorted. Really? Did the gut think it was as simple as that?

"And anyway, you've seen her! "I could tell he was starting to loose control. "She seemed almost scared of Bella at Emmett's wedding. Don't tell me that that's because Bella has been acting like a little angel."

"What on earth is going on here?" Bella asked, standing in the doorway.

--

BPOV

--

I was finally coming home after another day of teaching and planning the excursion. Things were really starting to come together, especially since we had found help in unexpected places.

After Alistair had assured himself of the fact that I wasn't some kind of psycho terrorist getting ready to rob him of his life or hand him over to whatever secret service he was most scared of at the time, he had offered his help and expertise and boy did he deliver!

He had gotten us in touch with people from every museum or monument we were going to visit, ensuring we'd get the best tour guide, seats or whatever we wanted available. His knowledge of London had also really helped us in compiling a realistic program. I mean, some distances may look small on a map but in reality it may take you three hours to get from point A to point B.

All the planning – not just for the excursion but also for the wedding – was starting to get to me a little though. Not a day was spend when Jasper, Zafrina and I wouldn't spend our lunch break or free periods going over some things, making everything perfect for when we would leave in three weeks time. Of course when I got home most of the times Alice and Rose would already be waiting for me with their binder filled with wedding plans.

Before Esme had gone back to Chicago we had made a list of things to do and divided the tasks. Luckily it had fallen to me to just sit back, look pretty and approve the plans (somehow they seemed to have picked up on the fact that I wasn't really big on planning events) while the dynamic trio discussed whether we needed to hire an aggregate or battery operated equipment would suffice.

I could hear some kind of heated discussion going on upstairs as I opened the front door. Great. Jacob and Edward had wasted no time in falling back onto their old habits!

I had been relieved when Edward and Jacob had been acting like they were getting along for the last week. I knew Edward still felt hesitant towards Jake but the fact that – in spite of all of that – he did make an effort to befriend Jacob made me fall even more in love with him.

Jacob, for his part, had been on his best behavior as well. He had kept a little more distance to me and Libby, not wanting to offend Edward like he had done the last time he visited and had steered clear of Edward for most of the time.

What had happened to make them fight again?

"What on earth is going on here?" I asked as I made my way upstairs and found the two of them locked in a heated argument in one of the guest bedrooms.

"Why don't you tell me?" Jacob glared. What the hell was going on and what the hell was he angry at me for?

"Don't you dare talk to her like that, mutt!" Edward seethed.

"Edward butt out," I said, pulling him back to prevent him from punching Jacob, though God knows I really wanted him to. "I don't need you to fight my battles for me."

"Yeah Eddie," Jacob smirked. "Shut the fuck up!"

"No Jacob," I fumed. "I think_ you_ need to shut the fuck up!"

They both stared at me open mouthed. I wasn't one to use strong language like that normally. Well, at least not when other people could hear me.

"I need to shut up?" Jake yelled, recovering from the shock. "Who's the one who has been treating Leah like crap? It sure as hell isn't me!"

"You really need to talk to that girlfriend of yours," I snarled, shaking my head. "I'm sure she has a few things to say to you that will shock your perfect little world."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jake yelled back. "Leah's been nothing but nice to you and yet you treat her like she's a leper."

"Yeah, because she's the real victim in this story," I snorted.

"Will somebody please tell me what the fuck is going on?" Edward intervened, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Ask your fiancé," Jacob snarled. "She seems to be the almighty knowing oracle these days."

"Just shut it Jake," I growled. "It's not like it wasn't your girlfriend who almost ruined my life!"

They both looked at me again, this time with a look of surprise and confusion.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Jake asked, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm talking about the fact that five years ago Leah knowingly omitted telling me that Edward had called for me while I was knocked out."

The confusion on Jacob's face made way for a myriad of feelings and I watched as they traveled over his face.

Anger.

Shock.

Horror.

Anger.

"I don't believe you," he snarled, a ferocious look in his eyes.

"She admitted it to me herself!" I spat back.

Something in my voice or face must have convinced him of the fact that I was speaking the truth. I saw it the minute realization dawned on him. His face fell and he sagged onto the bed looking defeated.

"Tell me she didn't," he whispered. I really felt sorry for him at that moment. I knew he realized why she had done it. "Please tell me you're joking."

"She admitted it," I repeated, almost reluctantly. I knew I would be breaking Jacobs heart over this. He loved Leah, but he had also seen what five years without Edward had done to me. He'd always told me that my mother deserved to be damned to the deepest circle of hell for what she had done. And now he had found out his girlfriend had done the same.

From the corner of my eyes I saw Edward had left the room. I wondered how he felt about this. I had kept something from him. True, it had been in an effort to protect him, but holding this back had felt....wrong.

"Why didn't she tell me," Jacob whispered, to no one in particular.

"I think she was scared," I said, siting down next to him and wrapping an arm around him. For the moment my anger had been forgotten, it had been pushed to the back by the overwhelming pity I felt for my best friend. I had failed in protecting him from this as I had failed Edward. "She must have know deep down inside that what she did was wrong and how you would feel when you found out."

"She could have talked to me." Jacob sounded more like a wounded animal than my big pillar of strength. I just wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be okay. But I knew I couldn't.

"She made mistakes Jacob," I stated. "But she deserves a chance to defend herself." This was her mess after all, and she had to clean it up herself. "Talk to her," I added.

"I don't know if I can Bells," he sighed. "I'm just so.....angry right now."

"Just try," I pleaded. I knew he had to talk to her and even though part of me was really hoping he'd dump her sorry ass so hard she'd bounce like a kangaroo ball, another part of me really hoped they could work it out. Jacob had been so happy when he told me he was in love, I didn't want him to be hurt.

"I'd better get to the airport or I'll miss my flight," he sighed.

"I'm sorry about before," I apologized.

"No harm done," he replied, forcing a smile. "And you were right anyway."

I walked him to the door. "Please Jake, just try."

He understood the meaning behind my words. "I'll try," he said with a small smile as he dipped his head.

As I walked into the living room I saw Edward, sitting on the edge of one of the seats, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"How long have you known?" he asked, his annoyance clear in his voice.

"Ever since the night of Rose's bachelorette party," I admitted.

"And you never had the urge to share this little bit of information with me?" He looked up at me and the look on his face nearly broke my heart. It felt like I had betrayed him.

"I was scared of how you would react to it," I pleaded, sitting down on the coffee table, as close to him as he would let me.

"So you felt like you had to protect me like some kind of toddler?" he spat back.

"No, I wanted to protect you because I love you and I didn't want this new to rake up all the pain and doubt we had just painstakingly fought our way through again!" I cried back exasperated.

He didn't answer.

"Even Alice agreed with me," I added.

He sprang from the couch as if it was on fire. "So you shared this with the rest of my family but still you didn't feel the need to enlighten me?"he yelled. "I'm sure you all must have had a good laugh behind my back!"

"It wasn't like that Edward!" I cried. Why couldn't he see my side of the story? I knew I had been wrong. I had made a mistake. But I had done it with the best in intentions at heart. If only he could see that. If only he could forgive me.

"I can't believe you," he growled, shaking his head. I really didn't understand him at that moment. "I can't believe you did that."

He turned and started walking towards the door.

No.

No way.

He wasn't going to walk out like that.

"Don't you walk away from me Edward Cullen," I yelled. "You promised. We promised."

He took another step towards the door before turning. He just stood there for a while, his entire frame tense with anger as he ran a hand through his hair, another one pinching the bridge of his nose. I recognized that look all too clearly. He was closing himself off again.

"Look, I was wrong in keeping this from you. But I did it because I love you and I don't want you to get hurt. You have to believe me," I pleaded with him. I felt so powerless at that moment.

"I do," he sighed. "It's just........can you give me a moment or two?"

I nodded, a tear slipping down my cheek. I'd do everything for him.

"I just need to clear my head," he explained, before walking into the study, closing the door behind him. It wasn't long until the sad tones of the Prelude in C-minor by Rachmaninoff started to seep through the walls and I could imagine him as he played.

I sat down on the couch. Listening to Edward venting his feelings through his music as I waited patiently but anxiously for him to return.

It felt like hours – or was it just minutes? – when the sliding doors opened again. Even though he had been able to let off some steam through his music he was still tense, though the anger had bated.

--

EPOV

--

As I let my fingers move over the keys a myriad of thoughts coursed through my head at a dazzling speed.

Why did she keep this from me? What else had she kept from me? Did she really think I was to weak to handle it? Was that her real opinion of me?

No you idiot! She did it because she loves you! That's what she does. She worries. She over thinks and then she chooses the option that will only hurt herself.

Yes. She did it because she loves me.

And once again I acted like an ass.

She had been hurting over this – most likely for a long time – and I had pushed her away before stopping to consider her side of the story.

I knew hiding out in the study was wrong. I needed to grow the hell up and stop hiding or running whenever things got hard. At least Bella had kept me from walking out the door. The anger in her voice when she had ordered me to stay had been so clear. How on earth was I going to make this up to her?

The dirty little voice in the back of my head suggested a few things I could do to make her see how sorry I was, but I knew that – thought we'd get to that part eventually – there would be some other activities required before we got to that.

Talking.

Groveling.

She would have to explain to me why she kept this from me and I needed to tell her why I reacted the way I did. But most of all I needed to apologize for acting the way I did.

My fingers ghosted over the keys as the last lingering notes of the piece I had been playing slowly faded, pulling me back into the here and now.

I stood up – resolved – and closed the lid on the piano. Once again it had allowed me to work through the brunt of my emotions and – even though I knew my hiding out here had been unfair to Bella- it had done me a world of good. I felt more levelheaded and able to discuss the unresolved matter that rested between us. More able to see her side of things. More susceptible to what she was going to say.

She looked up as I walked into the living room and I wondered how long she had been sitting there on the couch, her knees drawn up, her head resting on them. Her face holding a look of pain, shame, fear and patience.

She had been waiting patiently for me to be ready, putting her own fears and worries aside for me. I think I loved her even more for that, though the thought pained me to no end.

"I'm sorry if I scared you," I said, hiding my face in her hair as I sat next to her pulling her onto my lap. "I just really needed some time to clear my head before we spoke about this."

"It's okay," she said, and I could hear her fight the tears. I was such an ass. Once again I had made her cry. Once again I had caused her pain. Why couldn't I just make her happy? What was wrong with me?

"No it's not," I sighed, lifting her chin with my finger. "You did what you thought was right and instead of trying to put myself in your shoes I acted like an ass."

"I did," she admitted. "But it was the wrong decision."

"It was," I replied, "but you did it with the best intentions in mind. You had no idea of how I would react to this Even Alice agreed with you.."

"What made you react so fiercely?" She wondered, her eyes scrutinizing my face for clues.

"I don't know," I shrugged. It was the truth. I really didn't know what had made me react that way. "I guess......" I sighed, trying to retrace the memory of the thoughts that had flashed through my brain when I was in the other room. "I thought............I guess..........I just panicked. I don't know what came over me. It was just like for a moment every certainty became a doubt."

I looked at her, pleading. I knew my words didn't really make any sense but they were the best I had. I hoped she would understand.

"I am sorry," she replied looking deep into my eyes and I knew she had caught the meaning behind my words.

"I guess I'll just have to get used to the fact that I am not the only one in this relationship who feels extremely protective of the other," I chuckled, kissing her lightly.

Her hands weaved into my hair, pulling me against her as she moved her tongue over my bottom lip. I couldn't hold back a small moan as I opened my mouth and her tongue tangled with mine. I loved it when she took control.

"When did you say Alice and Libby where coming back again?" I panted, as we broke for air.

"Don't know," she purred, nipping at the skin of my neck. "Don't care."

"That's my girl," I chuckled, moving my hands in between us so that I could lift her up. "let's get you to bed."

She squealed as I nearly ran out of the room with her wrapped around my waist and I had to fight the urge to not throw her back onto the couch and ravage her.

_'Come on Edward, you know you want to,' _the lust filled side of my brain purred.

'_No. Not good,' _the more levelheaded side intervened. _'What about Alice and Libby? You don't want them to walk in on you don't you?'_

_'Don't care,'_ the other side growled._ 'Want Bella. Now.' _

_'Just think of all the sex you won't be having after Alice and Libby walk in on you.' _The annoying whiny side of my brain had a point there. Bella would be mortified if that happened. Mortified Bella was never a good thing.

"What the hell are you waiting for," aroused Bella growled into my ear. "I thought you were taking me to bed."

"Yes ma'am," I chuckled, much to the pleasure of both the voices in my head.

_**I know this chapter is a day late. I had a meeting yesterday that went on 'till late an I didn't have the energy to do anything after that. **_

_**The worst thing about it is that this is also the only chapter I'll be able to post this week. It's the last week before my winter break and I have a million things to do. Apart from that, there's the Christmas party on Friday and I don't think I'll be in any fit state to post after that ;-) I'll make it up to you next week......**_

_**I'm also sorry if this chapter is a bit all over the place. I've been sick and still have terrible headaches. It has been hard for me to focus because of that. I hope there aren't too many mistakes or vague situations in this chapter.**_

**_This wasn't the last we've seen of Jacob. He'll make a few more appearances though the next few chapters will mostly deal with Bella's trip to London._**

_**Please review.**_


	34. From the Big Apple to the Big Ben

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**From the Big Apple to the Big Ben.**

"Have you seen my copy of _Wives and Daughters_?" Bella yelled from the bedroom.

"It's on the bottom step of the stairs love," I chuckled, walking into the room to find her elbow deep into her suitcase. "Remember? You put it there so you wouldn't forget it." It was so like Bella to go on a holiday and wonder what books she needed to bring.

"Oh," she blushed.

"Do you have everything else?" I asked, looking at the suitcase she had packed. I had never in my life seen a woman travel that light though – granted – I had only ever watched Esme and Alice pack.

"I have," she nodded. "Alice came over yesterday to help me pack and when she left I chucked out half of what she had put in there, so I guess I'm more than covered."

"Don't let Alice catch you," I laughed.

"I'll probably be airborne by the time she gets here so I think I'm safe," she laughed.

"When is Jasper going to be here?"

She looked at the clock. "In about half an hour."

I sighed. The both of us had been doing that a lot over the last couple of days.

"I don't want to go," she said, the sadness in her voice cutting straight through my heart as she sat down next to me on the bed.

I knew just what she meant. Ever since we had gotten back together we had never spend more than twenty four hours apart and even those hours had been torture. How were we ever going to make it through an entire week?

"You have to," I finally sighed, pulling her into my arms and lying back onto the bed with her, breathing in her scent. "It will be all for the best." I knew Emmett would probably laugh long and hard and give me one of his speeches about how I had better change my name into Edwina if he ever found out how hard it would be for me to let her go.

That's what I had been telling myself over the last couple of weeks.

That it would all be for the best.

That it would make us stronger in the long run.

That it was childish of me to want to keep her within arms reach for the rest of our lives.

But still.

I couldn't imagine a week without my Bella.

Without her scent.

Without her laugh.

Without her kisses.

Without her blushes.

"Can I join you?" Libby's voice asked from the doorway.

"Sure sweetie," Bella sighed, making space for her in between us.

Libby scooted over to the middle of the bed and tangled herself in our embraces.

"Aren't we a sorry pair?" Bella laughed, but I could hear the tears in her voice.

"Why?" Libby asked, craning her neck to see her mothers face.

"I'll only be gone for a week and we're acting like a disaster is about to take place."

"That _is_ silly," Libby agreed, snuggling a little bit closer into Bella's arms.

I could only imagine how difficult it must have been for the both of them. Ever since Libby had been born they had always been together. This would be the first time one of them would be without the other for longer than a night.

"I love you," Bella said softly. "Both of you."

"I love you too mommy," Libby's voice answered immediately, "and you daddy," she said, turning her neck to kiss me on the cheek.

"And I love both of you to bits," I concluded, leaning in to claim Bella's soft lips. We just lay there for as long as we could, breathing each other in without speaking. No words were necessary.

All too soon we were interrupted by the door bell, heralding the arrival of Jasper.

We had decided it would probably best to say our goodbye's at home since Bella didn't want to fall to pieces in front of her pupils. Jasper had offered to drive the two of them to the airport after he had said his own goodbyes to my sister.

Alice would be coming over soon to stay with us while Jasper and Bella were away. I really needed her help to take care of Libby while I was working and apart from that, I think I would be in need for a sympathetic shoulder before long.

Alice on her side had jumped at the opportunity. She hated being alone and this way she could avoid that and spend time with – as she said – one of her favorite people in the world. I was smart enough to know that wasn't me.

"Jeez Bells! What are you packing? Rocks?" Jasper complained as he picked up Bella's carryon bag.

"Books," I mouthed, taking the bag from him so that he could grab the – much lighter- suitcase.

"We're going on an excursion to one of the most fascinating cities in the world and you plan to have your nose in a book?" Jasper yelled over his shoulder.

"No," Bella spat back offended. "But since we have to spend eight hours trapped in a bloody tin can to get there I though bringing something to occupy myself with would be nice. Or would you rather entertain me with a games of hangman for the duration of the flight?"

"She's as bad as Alice," he huffed as we carried the bags to his car together. "Do you know Ally actually gave me a list of things to buy when we were there?"

"No," I laughed, "but I can't say I'm surprised."

"It's three pages long!" he groaned. "I complained I would have to buy an extra suitcase to get all of that shit packed but then she pointed at the list and there it was: a leopard print suitcase from TopShop!"

As we walked back into the house I told him all about the time we went on vacation to Rome and Alice ended up having to ship all of her new acquisitions to the states in a cargo plane because they weighed too much to be taken on board.

"Just know what you're getting yourself into!" I joked.

"Believe me, I do." Somehow he didn't seem fazed by that at all. He actually seemed to like it.

"I'll leave you to say your goodbyes," Jasper said. "See you next week Edward."

"See ya uncle Jazzy," Libby yelled, slinging herself in his arms.

"I'll say hello to the queen for you," he chuckled, walking back to his car.

"Take care of my girl for me," I whispered as he walked past me.

"I will," he said, swiftly placing his hand on my shoulder.

When I turned to look at my girls they were both staring at each other and on the verge of tears. Neither of them spoke for a minute or two before Libby broke the silence.

"I don't want you to go mommy," she said in a tiny voice.

I could see Bella was on the brink of throwing in the towel. I could only imagine how hard it must be for her, for both of them.

"Oh baby, come here," Bella cried, scooping Libby up in her arms and burying her face in her hair. "I know."

"It will be fine," I tried to soothe both of them. I picked Libby up and held her to my side while I pulled Bella in for one last embrace.

"Are you sure?" they both asked in perfect unison.

"Absolutely," I stated, more confident than I really was. "Mommy is going to London to see all kinds of crazy things and while she is away aunt Alice and you and me are going to have lots of fun so that when mommy returns we have so many stories to tell we will never get bored again."

Bella sighed into my shoulder before pulling away.

"I'd better get going," she said with a face like she was being lead to the gallows. "We can't keep Jasper waiting any longer."

"He'll understand," I soothed, kissing her tears away.

"I'll miss you," she said. "I know it's only for a week, but…………"

"I know," I sighed. "And I'll miss you too."

"And me," Libby agreed, wrapping her little arms around the two of us.

"Bye baby," Bella said, kissing Libby three times on the lips.

"Goodbye my love," I said, kissing her deeply for the last time in seven days. "Call me before the plane leaves."

"I will," she said, taking a hesitant step backwards.

"And don't forget to call me when you arrive," I added.

"I will," she said, a tear escaping from her eyes as she took another step backwards.

"And every night and every morning,"

"I will," her voice never reaching above a whisper as she walked out the door and into the car.

I stepped into the doorway with Libby still in my arms as I watched her step into the car, say something to Jasper and close the door, looking back at us as they drove away.

"I miss her already," Libby sighed., hiding her face in my neck.

"So do I sweetheart," I muttered. "So do I."

--

BPOV

--

I closed my eyes as I waited for my suitcase to appear on the luggage belt. Even though I had prepared myself for the flight from New York to London there was no amount of books that could lessen the torment of being crammed in a small seat enclosed by two other people for eight hours.

I guess I even had the long end of the stick. Jasper had basically had to fold himself like a napkin to fit into the seat and his attempt to find some comfort had him looking like a yoga instructor.

He had skipped around like a lamb being lead into the pasture for the first time in it's life when he had finally been able to stand upright and walk without having to duck or squat for the first time in hours.

"Please remember to knock me out first on the way back," he complained, stretching his limbs.

"Why?" Zafrina chuckled. "I kind of enjoyed watching you squirm."

"Fuck you," he muttered soft enough not to be overheard by the pupils.

"Not unless you grow a pair of tits," Zafrina whispered back.

"Children!" I hushed, taking my phone out of my bag.

"Miss Swan!" Right that moment Jane came storming at us, the discontented look she had been sporting ever since her father had dropped her off at the airport about ten hours ago still edged on her face.

"What is it Jane?" I sighed, pushing my phone back into the bag for now.

"Demetri says we actually have to wait for our bag to arrive," she huffed.

"Yes," I confirmed hesitantly. Had the girl never flown before? Or was she just a plain idiot?

"I. Don't. Wait," she growled.

"Well you don't have any choice in that sunshine," Zafrina spat. It wasn't a secret that she and Jane had been on a war footing since minute one. "That is.....unless you want to run around naked all day which, I can tell you, won't sit very well with the natives over here."

Jane almost turned purple as she was thinking of thing to say that wouldn't have her end up on the first available plane back home. It had been like this from minute one and secretly the three of us had all been enjoying the power we now held over the 'terrible two.'

"Don't you think you're taking it a bit too far?" I asked as I watched the little troublemaker retreat back to her friends. "You don't want to give her too much ammo to take back to daddy."

"Nah," Zafrina shrugged. "I've got it covered."

"If you say so," I chuckled, dialing Edwards number. I had been dying to hear his voice and Libby's ever since I had made my last short call to them before boarding the plane in New York.

It had been so hard to tear myself away from them even though I felt rather silly about it. Here I was, always priding myself on being a strong – well, kind of – independent woman and now I couldn't even tear myself away from my family for a fucking week! So much for girl power.

In my defense: it had been the first time I had found myself separated from Edward and Libby for such a long time. Jasper had even praised me for keeping it together the way I had though I think he might have been comforting me since I had been crying all the way to the airport.

Once we were there though I had had to pull myself together. I couldn't very well fall apart in front of my pupils and their parents and I had to focus on getting everybody through security and on the plane without incidents.

"_Bella,"_ I could almost hear Edwards relieved smile through the phone as he picked up.

"God I miss you so much," I had to fright the tears as I heard his voice again. The thought that there was now an ocean between us made me feel nervous and unsafe. As if something that would drive us apart again could happen at any given moment.

"_Me too,"_ he sighed. _"How was you flight?"_

"As comfortable as you can get while being trapped in a tin can for eight hours," I replied.

"_I still don't understand why you didn't let me upgrade your tickets,"_ he complained. It had been very hard to get him to understand that I couldn't very well leave Jasper and Zafrina to deal with twenty five bored rich kids on their own while I was living the life in first class. The thought that I might be uncomfortable for even a single moment overclouded all other things in his opinion.

"You know why," I chuckled. "How are things back home?"

"_Lonely." _

"So Alice hasn't come yet?" I was feeling a little worried. She was supposed to be there by now. What is something had happened? I knew Edward had an early shift at the hospital tomorrow. What if Alice still hadn't arrived by then? He couldn't leave Libby home alone. Who'd help her get ready for school? What had happened to Alice anyway?

"_Stop,"_ Edward chuckled.

"What?"

"_Come on Bella, I know you! You're probably working yourself into a frenzy right now!" _He explained.

"But......"

"_Don't worry love,"_ he soothed. _"Alice arrived right on time. She's keeping Libby occupied with rearranging your closet space at the moment. All I tried to say is that it's lonely without you here." _

"Ah." I blushed at my own stupidity.

"_Do you want to talk to Libby?"_ he asked, not waiting for an answer before he gave the phone to an obviously very excited Libby.

"_MOMMY!!!!" _she yelled into the phone. A few of my pupils looked up from there place a few feet away. Even they could hear her scream.

"Hey baby! How are you doing?"

"_Great!"_ she sang. _"Aunt Alice made parts of my hair go pink an then we watched Oprah and ate skittles until our bellies hurt!" _

I felt a huge surge of relief wash over me at the realization that Libby was happy. When told me she didn't want me to leave it almost broke my heart. I had been this close to staying. It was such a comfort to know that she was coping very well. Even though I would have to speak to Edward and Alice about feeding her so much candy and I hoped Oprah hadn't been discussing the ten best ways to enhance your sex life again.

We talked a little more before the luggage of our flight started to appear on the luggage belt. I said goodbye with a bittersweet feeling and rejoined the rest of the group.

After collecting our luggage we took an express train into the city from where we would walk to the hotel since we didn't think the good people of London would appreciate us crowding up their subways during rush hour. Judging by the distance on the map and Alistair's directions it was only about a fifteen minute walk anyway. Our decision didn't sit so well with some of the pupils though.

"Do you mean we really have to walk?" Jane huffed, glaring daggers at me.

"Yes," I replied, trying to remain calm and not push her onto the tracks. "It's only a very short distance and you can roll your suitcase behind you anyway so you should be fine."

"I don't walk," she stated, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Then you'd better order a wheelchair because I'm not carrying you." It was out before I knew it, much to the surprise of both of us.

"Just wait until I tell my father," she started, pointing her finger at me.

"Then I'll add that you couldn't be in London for five minutes without kicking up a fuss." I sure hoped she was going to be a little more reasonable for the rest of the trip because if I had to spend every waking minute of the day arguing with the little twerp someone would get hurt.

"I'm hailing a cab," she said as we walked out of the station.

"No you're not," Zafrina intervened before Jane could throw herself in front of the first black cab that came along. "You're going to walk and keep your mouth shut or you'll be on the first plane back to New York."

She grudgingly obliged, joining the rest of the kids who were waiting in front of a stop sign to cross the road.

"Raise your hand if you don't want to push dear Jane in front of a bus," Zafrina whispered to Jasper and me.

Both our hands remained down.

"I still say we should have gone with our initial plan," she added.

When we had been discussing the best ways to deal with the twins during the trip Zafrina had come up with an idea to plant some C-4 explosives in their suitcases right before they would go through security. It might have caused some delays , but would also see the evil two safely tucked away in a prison cell.

"Let's just get going!" I chuckled.

I took the lead, following the directions to the hotel that Alistair had provided. The first thing I noticed about the neighborhood we were walking through was that all the houses were white. It was beautiful and gave the whole street a calm and soothing atmosphere but it sure as hell made it very difficult to 'turn right after the white house' as Alistair's directions said.

"Are we there yet? I'm getting blisters," a shrill whiny voice behind me complained. I didn't have to look to see who it was.

"Almost," I growled, trying to find the little side road we had to take to get to the street where the hotel was.

Finally we arrived at a street that seemed to be fully dedicated to tourism. I don't think there was a single building in it that wasn't a hotel.

"What was the name again?" Jasper asked, taking the lead.

"Queens Park Hotel," I replied, pointing at one of the sighs a few yards ahead while I dragged my suitcase up a small hill.

"We're not staying at this dump are we?" the Volturi twins complained as they took in the front of the hotel.

"Yes we are," Jasper stated, trying to sound cheerful.

The hotel looked decent enough. It was white like all the other buildings around here and had a nice, columned entrance leading into a small reception area. While the pupils scrambled to take possession of the couches we went to check in.

We had opted for a hotel in stead of a hostel since it seemed like a better idea to have the pupils divided up into little clusters of three than to cram them into a whole space together. This way some of them might actually be getting some sleep.

We had drawn up a map of who would be sharing which room with whom to prevent the trip from turning into one big orgy and we would be doing rounds at certain times at night to see of the students were actually sleeping in the beds they were assigned to.

Some of the parents had had issues even with that, claiming it was unhealthy for the boys to be sharing a hotel with the girls. I don't know what had caused them to have such a low opinion of their own offspring to think that having their precious little girl sleep on the same floor as a member of the opposite sex would only lead to a string of STD's and teenage pregnancy.

Luckily Aro had sided with us, claiming it would be impossible to organize the trip in any other ways and if they couldn't resign themselves with the idea of their offspring sleeping within a ten mile radius of a boy they would have to forfeit on the excursion.

"Okay, listen up everyone," Jasper announced after we had checked in and were handed the keys to the rooms. "We'll be announcing the room numbers. If we call your name please come forward to collect your key and retire to your room. We'll assemble here in the lobby at seven to go eat."

"If you need anything, we'll be in room 301," I added.

"Why does mr. Whitlock get to share a room with two women when all I get is Bass and Archibald snoring my ears off?" Demitri complained.

"Because you're underage and I am not," Jasper retorted, handing the trio their key.

"Lucky bastard," Demitri grumbled as he grabbed his bag and made his way to the elevator.

The rest of the handout went tolerable well. Jane seemed pleased with the fact that she was sharing a room with Serena and Blair, the two most popular girls in the school, even though the hotel still didn't seem to pass her standards.

When all the children had been assigned to their rooms we followed them upstairs to the third floor. We had been given the entire floor under the condition that we kept the pupils tolerably quiet. The room we had reserved for ourselves was the one closest to the elevators so that we could keep an eye on who was coming and going.

"Ms Swan!" Jane shrieked as soon as we stuck our noses outside the elevator doors. "You have to be kidding me!"

"What is it now?" I growled.

"It's the rooms!" she cried. "They are tiny! I can't be expected to sleep in there!"

I followed her to see what the hell she was taking about. The room seemed large enough to me. Granted, it wasn't the Waldorf Astoria, but it was nice and clean none the less and there was even space to navigate. I had seen much worse.

"What seems to be the problem?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as friendly as possible.

"Look at it," Jane yelled, pointing in horror at the room as if it were pigsty.

"I can't see anything wrong with it," I replied. "Serena and Blair seemed to have settled in good enough."

Serena and Blair had wasted no time in rearranging the furniture and littering the place with clothing and accessories. They were currently in the process of doing each others hair while gossiping about some hot guy they had been observing on the flight here.

"I have never stayed at a hotel that didn't have five stars!" Jane huffed, stomping her foot on the ground. "I don't feel safe here. What if I'm robbed in the middle of the night?"

"I'm sure you'll be perfectly safe in here," I said, trying to fight to urge to laugh at her. What the hell was she thinking? That a whole gang of rapists was hiding out in the cupboard, poised to strike as soon as she was tucked up in bed?

"I'm so not accepting this," she said, rolling her eyes while she took out her mobile phone.

The conversation with her dad that followed was a sight to behold. Aro had been the one to okay this hotel so he had no sympathy for his precious daughters complaints about it. Jane on her side was getting more frustrated by the minute and for a moment I half feared she was going to explode.

"Fine then!" she finally yelled, flipping her phone shut before throwing it at the wall.

"I take it your father agrees with our choice of hotel?" I smirked, inwardly rejoicing at the little bitch's defeat.

I thought I heard her mutter something resembling to 'shut up' before she grabbed something from her suitcase and retreated to the bathroom.

Jasper and Zafrina had taken our luggage to our room in the meantime and had divided the beds.

"Believe me, you don't want to be sharing a double bed with her," Jasper chuckled, pointing at Zafrina who was sitting on the small single that was placed next to the double bed Jasper and I would apparently be sharing.

"Are you sure Alice is okay with the two of us sharing a bed?" I giggled.

"As long as you're able to keep your hands to yourself," Jasper chuckled, throwing a pillow at me.

"Like I'd even want to touch you!" I replied in mock horror. "I've seen the skanks you usually hang out with!"

"I'm sure Edward would be delighted that you're calling his sister a whore," Jasper retorted.

"Oh, shut up!" I said, rolling my eyes.

I took a quick shower and changed into some fresh clothes before we made our way downstairs again to wait for the rest of the group. We had made dinner reservations for the whole group at a little place somewhere near Trafalgar square.

We took a subway to the square and found the place where we had made reservations easy enough. It was a cozy small little pub, crowded with the regular visitors.

The patron lead us upstairs to the dining area of the place where two long tables awaited us.

"Ew, they actually eat that stuff over here?" Alec complained, pointing at the menu.

Alec's opposition, though annoying, felt rather comforting. He had been too quiet for my taste and since he was the smarter and more underhand one of the witch twins that fact was unsettling. I knew he was planning something. If only I could find out what.

"How would you know you don't like it if you haven't even tried it," Zafrina snapped.

"I kinda like it," Demitri interjected, looking at the menu like it was some kind of treasure map. "I'll have the fish and chips with mushy peas," he announced to the waiter in his best version of posh English.

The rest of the dinner would pass in much the same style. Someone would say something nice about the country or the place we were at, one of the Volturi's would shoot them down and Demetri would hush it all up with some kind of remark that had us all in stitches.

After we had eaten we gave the pupils two hours to discover the city. Since all of us were still on New York time it would be pointless to go back to the hotel now. Trying to get the students to behave and go to sleep would have been like trying to ask a vampire to forgo on drinking blood. It would only lead to trouble.

"So, I think it's going fairy well so far," Jasper concluded as we made our way to the downstairs area of the pub to get a beer.

"Yeah, apart from the fact that Bonnie and Clyde are acting up again," Zafrina said, rolling her eyes.

"It could have been worse....." I interjected.

"Aro must have talked to them," Jasper agreed.

"I wonder what they are like at home," Zafrina wondered.

"Oh, I'm sure they are perfect and angelic," I said. "Believe me, Jane knows exactly when she can show her less wholesome side and get away with it. She isn't as stupid as to get into trouble with her dad!"

We tried out some of the local brew before it was time to assemble under the statue of Wellington on Trafalgar square. When we got there some of the students had already arrived, one of them an obviously drunk Demetri. I wondered how a seventeen year old boy had managed to get as drunk as he was now in under two hours when I noticed something else that was strange about the scene in front of me.

"What on earth is going on here?" I asked, looking over to the dangerously wobbling Demitri who had his arms around a girl who – by the look of it – was twice his age and had her eyes glued to his wallet.

"I'm in love miss," Demitri sighed looking at the girl.

"No your not," Jasper laughed. "You're drunk and horny and that's never a good combination."

"Huh?" Demetri looked at him with glassy eyes, swaying a little bit unsteady on his feet.

"You. Drunk." Jasper repeated, prying him away from the girl.

"But…."

In the meantime the girl had understood that there was no gain to be had from this night and had scurried off into the darkness, much to the horror of a now grief stricken Demetri.

"But I loved her...." He whined as the little gold digger scampered off into the night.

"Just come with us without complaint and we might keep this little tidbit of information from your parents when we get home," Jasper added. "Same thing goes for Bass and Archibald. I know the two of you are equally to blame for this." He looked at them with flames in his eyes.

"You two are taking care of him for the rest of the night," he continued, pointing at Chuck and Nate. "If he pukes. You clean it. If he tries to run. You stop him. If you fail. You're going home. All three of you. Am I understood?"

"Yes general!" the two of them saluted.

We managed to get everyone to the hotel without further interruption from drunks and gold diggers and after about an hour of playing cat and mouse with pupils who were trying to flee from room to room everything had calmed down and we could get ready to go to bed ourselves.

That was easier said than done.

I had become used to sharing a room with another breathing, sound producing human being but having two strange roommates took some getting used to.

First there was the awkwardness of having to dress and undress in front of strangers while stealthily keeping your dirty underwear out of sight. Then there was the fact that my body involuntary gravitated towards the other warm body in the bed with me.

A quick look over to the other bed however, made me glad I hadn't stubbornly demanded to share a bed with Zafrina. With the way she was tossing and turning I would have been covered in bruises in the morning.

I had just about started to drift off into sleep when Jasper nudged me in the ribs.

"Ow! Would you mind?" I complained.

"The quit harassing me," Jasper growled, pushing my body back to the other side – my side – of the bed.

"Sorry," I muttered, glad for the darkness because I had no doubt invented a new shade of red.

"Just keep your hands to yourself," Jasper yawned.

The next morning when I awoke I was comfortably snuggled into Jaspers side, his hands around my waist as he rested his head on mine. Much to my mortification I noticed that even though most of Jasper might have been resting, some part of him certainly wasn't.

Next thing I knew I was blinded by a light flash.

"What the……" I pried myself away from Jaspers death grip and looked straight into the face of a very happy Zafrina. I swear, judging by the look on hr face you'd think she'd just won the lottery.

"I'm never going to have to fight the two of you on budget ever again," Zafrina squealed as she took another picture.

"What the….." Oh good! Jasper was up. I needed some help in manhandling Zafrina.

"Paparazzi girl here is on a roll," I explained, pointing over to Zafrina who was still petting her camera.

"Delete those pictures," Jasper grunted, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Or what?" Zafrina smirked, glancing at his morning wood. "You're going to hit me with your rhythm stick?"

Jasper grumbled something about damn women and their insufferable ways before he stormed into the bathroom.

"So, have fun?" Zafrina mocked.

"Shut up!" I replied, trowing my pillow at her, while I searched the nightstand for my phone.

A quick phone call to Edward, a nice shower and an awkward conversation with Jasper later and I was standing in the breakfast room, trying to find out what looked most appetizing. I decided to play it safe, grabbing a bowl of cereal and some coffee and orange juice. Thats should be enough to get me through the morning.

"So everybody listen up," I called as soon as everyone was seated and had assembled their food. "Today we are going to do three things."

Most of the pupils looked up to catch the program of today.

"First off we are going to be visiting the Tower of London. Since that is one of the places that requires special attention for you assignment I suggest you pay attention when we get there."

"How do we find out what the place has to do with that Richard bloke?" Ian asked.

"You can find most of the information in the part of the castle called the Bloody Tower," I explained, "and if you have any questions after that you could always ask one of the yeoman wardens."

"Aren't they called Beefeaters?"

"Yes, Kyle, another name for the keepers of the Tower is indeed Beefeater but I'm sure they'll explain it all when we take the tour. Any more questions about the Tower?"

Luckily that seemed to be all for now.

"After we're finished at the Tower you get half an hour to get some lunch before we'll take a boat over to Westminster Pier where we'll visit the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey."

"Do we get to see the queen?" Blair asked. She had had nothing but royalty on her brain ever since she had set foot on English soil and I had heard her and Serena talk about how they were going to seduce prince William.

"I don't think so," I laughed. "But if you're lucky we might."

"Last thing," I concluded as most of the pupils busied themselves with eating their breakfast. "Tonight is also the night of _We will rock you_ so everyone who has signed up for that will have to report to the theater at seven thirty."

We had given the students the option to go to a musical on one of the nights and seeing that we were on British soil what better one than an ode to one of the greatest bands Britain had ever produced? We knew some of the students had already seen it or didn't like it so we hadn't made it mandatory but most of them had signed up none the less.

Seeing the tower of London for the first time as we emerged from the underground station took my breath away. The building seemed so imposing and almighty it was no wonder that it had never been conquered by an invading army.

The tour was amazing and as soon as we had started the yeoman warden had the undivided attention of the whole group with his stories about what had happened at this place. A particularly gruesome tale of an apprentice headsman who had gotten so nervous when his king had ordered him to behead a nobleman who had tried to depose him that he had drunk himself into a frenzy and had only managed to behead the poor victim after three strikes of the axe had everybody seeing a little green.

The story that most impressed me however was that of sixteen year old Jane Grey who had met her end at the little patch of grass in the middle of the courtyard after her protestant father and husband had pressured her into staging a coup to prevent her catholic nice – later known as bloody Mary – from ascending the throne.

"So where do we go to find out about what happened to the princes?" Jenny asked as she pulled her notepad from her bag.

The yeoman warden hadn't know what hit him when – after he had told them a little bit about Richard and the princes in the tower – he had been attacked with a barrage of questions. He had recovered tolerably well though and luckily was able to answer most of the questions the children had.

"I think I saw a sign saying the Bloody Tower is that way," I said, pointing over to a round tower at the far end of the courtyard.

"What do you want to do?" Jasper asked. "I'd like to go see the crown jewels."

"Why on earth would a guy want to go look at a piece of jewelery?" Zafrina snorted. She didn't have a very high opinion of men in general, working from the preconceived notion that all men were sport-obsessed, ass scratching, sex crazed pigs.

"I read somewhere that they are supposed to be special," Jasper shrugged, taking yet another jab at his masculinity in his stride.

We walked to the building that held the jewels and slalomed our way through the maze of room leading up to the vaults that held the queens jewelery. Judging by all the maze-like gates we passed on our way we were lucky to have chosen a relatively quiet time of the year.

I had to suppress my laughter though when we entered the room with the jewels. I don't know what I had expected. Probably display cases and blinding lights. Perhaps even a treasure chest. But not a conveyor belt!

True, there were nice display cases and the light was in fact blinding, but the only way to get to the jewels was to take place on one of the two conveyor belts that transported you past them.

It was actually rather smart considering that it would probably speed up the flow of people wanting to see the diamonds but as I stood on the damn thing I felt utterly ridiculous and judging by the faces they pulled and the laughter they emitted Jasper and Zafrina probably felt the same.

We did a quick walkabout on the outer walls of the tower before we left the palace and grabbed a sandwich at a deli close by before we assembled the students and caught a ferry over to Westminster Pier.

The view from the water was amazing. We could see all the famous buildings passing in front of us before we got to explore the beautiful neo- Gothic Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

After a quick bite to eat we went over to the theater to see the show. It had us blown away from minute one. As soon as the first notes to _'We will rock you'_ thundered through the building everybody started to rhythmically stomp their feet and clap their hands. I thought the whole balcony we were sitting on was going to come down.

Okay, the singer wasn't Freddie Mercury but I was surprised to hear he did a very good job at singing the song. I was even moved when he sang 'Bohemian Rhapsody' for the encore.

"That was awesome," Demitri yelled as we made our way back to the hotel. "Did you know any of the songs miss?"

"Of course I do," I snorted. "Do you really think they pull me out of a Jane Austen novel; every morning?"

"Erm..........I never............no?"

"You guys really think we don't have a life outside school do you?" I laughed, playfully swatting his shoulder.

"I try not to think about it," he grudgingly acknowledged.

When we got back to the hotel I made a quick call to Edward and Libby. The sounds of normalcy were so foreign to me but they had a calming effect after the hectically of having to care for twenty five adolescents all day. Though I loved London and all the history and stories it offered, it was nothing compared to the stories of my little girl and the soothing voice of the man I loved.

_**I love London! I've been there a couple of timed and I've seen, done or experienced most of the things mentioned in this chapter myself (even the part where Demetri got loved up by a gold digging skank though that happened in Prague), I hope I got everything right. **_

_**So.....do you think the Volturi's will be able to go abroad without causing trouble?**_

_**Now as for updates....I'm going to try and have another chapter up on Wednesday before I leave for my mom's but I don't know if I'll manage since times are still busy. I can't update on Friday because it's boxing day so I'll be traveling to the other side of the country to go spend some time with my grandmother (luckily I live in a tiny country so the trip is only going to take about two hours). The next update after Wednesday (deo volente) will be on Monday.**_

_**Also those who are anticipating Carlisle's Angels should be looking out for the disgustingly short prologue within the next week.**_

_**You know what would really inspire me to get the next chapter done on Wednesday? Reviews!**_


	35. Now is the winter of our discontent

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Now is the winter of our discontent.**

I rolled over in the big empty bed. I really didn't know why I had even gone to bed in the first place. I knew I wasn't going to be getting any sleep anyway.

It was almost like the cold empty space next to me was mocking me.

Making sure I wouldn't forget the truth that was so blatantly obvious.

She wasn't here.

She was miles away.

Oceans away.

Sometimes I could fool myself for a minute while I dozed off, breathing in the sweet scent that lingered on the pillow. But then there was always the realization as my body searched for hers under the covers.

Empty.

At least it had already been three days which meant the halfway point had almost been reached. Only four more days to go.

Not having Bella here with me made me feel more uneasy than it should. I knew I would have to get used to this kind of stuff. I mean, I couldn't very well expect Bella to be by my side for every waking minute of my life could I? She was a person in her own right. She deserved to experience life outside of the peaceful little haven that was our home.

In the end I figured it was no use to try and get some more sleep so I got up, jumped into the shower and got dressed. I had to get to work in a couple of hours anyway so I might as well take some time to have breakfast and start a little early to appease Caius.

Caius had been particularly disgruntled with the way I had cut corners last week. I had been trying to get as much time with Bella before she had to leave, which had had me sneaking off early and arriving late for most of my shifts during the week.

When I arrived downstairs I noticed I wasn't the first one to get up.

"Aren't you supposed to stay in your room before one of us gets up?" I asked as I watched Libby glued to the downstairs TV.

She look at me with guilt written all over her face and I had to fight the smirk that desperately wanted to creep onto my face.

"Yes?" she offered, pouting at me. Unfortunately for her I had had a little bit too much experience with pouting little girls, growing up around Alice had served to desensitize me to the power of the Cullen pout.

"So you thought that while your mom was away you can start breaking the rules, huh?" I chuckled, sitting down next to her.

"No?" Libby persisted in trying to look as innocent and remorseful as she could. She was good. I had to admit it.

"Just wait until I tell mom about your behavior missy!" I scolded.

"You wouldn't," she replied, scrunching her eyes into tiny slits as she looked at me.

I sighed. She knew me too well.

"Just don't do it again," I pouted.

"I won't daddy," she replied, wrapping her tiny arms around me. "Love ya."

"Yeah yeah," I said, rolling my eyes. "Let's just get some breakfast."

"Are you going to make pancakes daddy?" Libby asked apprehensively.

"You know I would love to," I sighed, knowing full well it was pancake-Saturday, "but you've seen daddy's cooking. You really don't want to be eating the kind of pancakes I would make."

We both shuddered remembering my last failed attempt at cooking. It had ended up with half the kitchen looking like Waterloo after the battle, a call to the pizza delivery man and Bella not speaking to me for three days because of all the mess I had made.

"You're right daddy," she said, grinning as she patted my back. "I'll just have some cereal."

As we both ate our breakfast in silence I noticed how Libby had started to frown every now and then and started to shift impatiently in her seat. It could mean only one thing: question time.

I remembered how Bella had prepared me for it. The best thing was just to sit back, hang tight and let her do the talking.

"Daddy?" Here we go.

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Why did you go away six years ago?"

I had been expecting this question – practicing different answers I could give – but now that it was out in the open I found myself pretty speechless.

What to tell her?

What to hide?

Most of all I realized I needed Bella here to help me.

"We had......a.......misunderstanding," I stumbled.

"What?" The poor little darling probably didn't understand a world of what I was saying. I couldn't blame her. I didn't even know what the hell I was saying.

"Well......something happened that made mommy think I didn't like her anymore," I blurted out. I didn't know if Bella wanted Libby to know this but right now I couldn't really see a way past the hot topic.

"And you still did?" she asked, frowning at me.

"Of course I did."

"Then why didn't you explain it to her?" She looked so cute when she was confused.

"Because I thought mommy didn't like me anymore," I explained.

"Huh?" Apparently I wasn't doing a very good job at the explaining part.

"The same thing that made mommy think I didn't like her anymore also made me think she didn't like me anymore." I was starting to confuse myself now.

"So you were both wrong?" she cocked her head, trying to get a clear picture of what had happened.

"Well basically.....yes,"

"And it took you five years to find out you made a mistake?"

"Yes?" As happy as I was that she seemed to be making sense of my ramblings I realized Bella and I must be looking like complete idiots to her now.

"That's stupid," she huffed, glaring at me over her bowl of cereal.

Luckily Alice chose that moment to waltz into the kitchen, saving me from a further scolding by my six year old daughter.

It was a good thing she did too, because a look at the clock told me I was already running late for work.

--

The look on Kate's face when I arrived at the hospital told me that something must have happened during the night shift.

"You might want to go check on Mrs. Cope," she said softly as soon as she had spotted me. "She's taken a turn for the worse last night."

"What happened?" I asked, rifling through the rack for the chart.

"Her respiration is down to a dangerous level," Kate explained as I looked over the figures. It was all the explaining she needed to do.

I knew what it meant. It meant that one of my first patients since I had started at this hospital – and a dear friend on top of that – was going to die today. I knew that I could spend hours trying to convince her to let us treat her but she would never budge.

"She's ready to die," Kate said, voicing my own thoughts.

"Is anyone ever?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "But she seems as ready as anyone I've ever seen."

She stood next to me as I looked over the figures once more, trying to find something – anything – I could do for the old woman.

"I know it's hard for you," she said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "But you have to let her go."

"It's such a waste…."

"She wants to go Edward," Kate shushed me. "The only thing you can do for her now that's really going to be any help is just sit with her and make her last hours as comfortable as they can be."

"I guess so," I sighed.

"Off you go," she said, trying to laugh as she shoved me into the direction of the room Mrs. Cope occupied. She couldn't fool me though. We had all grown attached to the old woman over the years. She had been the kind mentor we had all severely lacked in Caius - a shoulder to cry on when things went wrong – but most of all she had been an example of how to bear adversity with an almost superhuman grace and lightheartedness.

When I opened the door I was surprised to see Caius sitting on the edge of the bed, his permanent scowl replaced by a grin as they both watched some soap opera on the TV. As soon as Caius spotted me he jumped up from the bed with his scowl back in place.

"Ah, if it isn't doctor McDreamy come to save the day," he grinned as I entered the room.

" I thought that was you?" I retorted, smirking in his direction.

"If that was me then I'd have to work on my bedside manners," he frowned. "I really don't want to get to the part where patients actually start to like me."

"Yes, because we all know a black eye really suits you," I said, rolling my eyes. We all remembered the time when Caius had actually gone too far and had been decked by an angry father because he had called his daughter a whore.

"He's really got you cornered now Caius," Mrs. Cope coughed, lifting the oxygen mask so she could speak. "Try saving yourself out of this one."

"Why on earth would I need to do that?" Caius moped, raising one of his eyebrows. "You know you'll laugh behind my back as soon as I'm gone so why not give you something to actually laugh about. The young padawan might think he's won this round but I'll talk to him again after he has spend the rest of the week cleaning out bedpans and doing rectal exams."

He quickly left after that, giving me time to see the changes that had happened to my favorite patient over night. Before he left, however, he instructed me to spend as much time as I could with Mrs Cope. He had even seen to the fact that my name had been cleared of the board which, for once, I was happy about. I couldn't bear the thought of Mrs Cope dying alone while I was stuck in surgery.

She seemed to have aged half a decade in the few hours that I had been away. Her face looking pale and worn with the effort of having to keep her body working.

"That doctor House is just like a little lapdog. What are they called again? Those ugly little mutts that little tramp Paris Hilton owns?"

"I think it's a Chihuahua," I replied, trying to reign in my emotions.

"Yes, a Chihuahua," she mused. "Well, he's all attitude and brawn when he feels self-confident enough but he has no balls to follow up on that when push comes to shove. He's just a sweet little boy with a very big mouth."

"I don't think I've ever heard someone call Caius House a sweet little boy," I chuckled.

"He's such a dear man when he allows himself to be one," she continued. "It's just sad that he never finds a good woman to bring out the best in him."

"I don't think any woman would be strong enough to do that!" I laughed. It would take one hell of a woman to tame that particular beast.

"And how is that vicious little gold digger he's been dating lately?" Mrs. Cope asked.

"I think she has him sitting up and begging at the snap of her finger."

"She may actually be the best thing that ever happened to him," Mrs. Cope mused. "It looks like he has finally found a worthy opponent."

She started coughing after that, he breathing becoming more labored as she spoke more.

"O dear," she croaked as I eased her back into the pillows after the coughing had stopped.

"You shouldn't speak," I said, wiping the sweat off her head. "Are you sure there isn't anything I can do for you?"

She shook her head furiously.

"I could give you some more pain medication to make you comfortable?"

She shook her head again, patting my hand as if to silently convey that she was doing fine as she was. She was probably right. More medication would keep the pain away but would probably make her breathing harder.

"I could call Alice and ask her to bring Libby over?" True to my word I had taken Bella and Libby to meet Mrs. Cope a few days after I had made my promise. They had both fallen in love with the elderly lady had had come back on more than one occasion to visit her again.

Mrs. Cope on her side had taken to them immediately and had harassed me into bringing them over more often or at least telling me about everything they did. A request I had been all too eager to grant.

"No," she sighed, "I don't want the little girl to see me like this. It would only upset her."

"Edward, have you seen……." Garrett barged in, stopping when he saw the two of us. "Oh man. Sorry."

"It's okay. What do you want?"

"Doctor Anspaugh will be taking miss Pope into surgery soon but I can't seem to find her chart," Garrett explained.

"I'll help you," I sighed, getting up from my seat beside the bed. "I'll be back soon," I promised Mrs. Cope.

"Take your time," she said, her voice barely registering above a whisper. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Try to rest," I said, much to her amusement. It wasn't like she had any other option.

The majority of my shift passed in much the same way. I'd occupy myself with my other patients before sneaking back to spend time with Mrs. Cope, who was getting worse every time I saw her. It wouldn't be long now.

"Doctor Cullen?" Her voice startled me. She had been sleeping for a little while and I was starting to think she would just drift off in her sleep within the next hour.

I helped her as she struggled to take of her breathing mask. "Thank you for everything you've done for me over the last years," she whispered, struggling to breath.

"It's nothing," I replied, trying to get her to put the mask back on.

"It's not nothing," she scolded, her hand brushing over mine with what I guessed was supposed to be a slap. "You did more than just your work. You made my last weeks on earth so much easier to bear."

"I was glad to help."

"Give my love to that wonderful little girl of yours." She even managed to bring a smile onto her face as she talked about Libby. Her words taking minutes to pass her lips as she struggled to breathe and talk at the same time. "And as for you wife……….She is as lucky to have you as you are to have her."

She paused and for a moment I thought that was all she had to say.

"Love her like every day is your last…………….Love her without fear or worry………….You deserve to be happy."

She grabbed my hands with more force than I thought she possessed at that moment.

"Love her….…Be happy….….promise me."

"I promise," I managed to stammer before she drifted into unconsciousness again. She died not an hour after that, never waking again after we had talked.

I looked around the room as I switched off the heart monitor to see most of the surgical staff was in the room with me. Garrett standing by my side holding a sobbing Kate. Even Caius looked moved as he rushed out of the room, no doubt ashamed of his blatant display of humanity.

"Take the rest of the day off," Garrett said to me. "I'll cover for you."

"Thanks but no thanks," I replied.

He nodded, understanding that out of the two ways of coping with these kind of things I had chosen to just work my way through it this time.

Somehow I made it through the rest of my shift without thinking too much about what had happened. To the outside world I must have looked like a robot but it was all I could manage to keep myself from breaking down.

I think the worst part of it was that my shoulder to cry on was now miles away. Usually when I had had a hard day or something bad had happened at work Bella would be there for me.

Sometimes we didn't even speak. She'd just be there, her arms wrapped around me, allowing me to breathe in her scent. To breathe in love. It allowed me to calm down and look at things with a clear perspective.

There was something about Bella that just.....invited you in. Invited you to share with her everything that you had previously kept hidden, even the things you couldn't bare to speak about before.

It had been strange at first to talk about my parents - since I knew so little of them – but gradually more things started to resurface. Things I had found out about them over the years. Pictures that I had kept stashed away in some distant corner of a closet. Places that had featured in their lives.

I had found that talking about them brought them closer to me. Made them more real. They were no longer ghosts of some horrible memory that floated in and out of my brain from time to time, they were real people now. They lived, they loved and unfortunately they died before I got to know them but that didn't mean they weren't real.

The strangest thing about it was that it had brought me closer to Carlisle and Esme. I realized that – though they could never replace my birth parents – they were the people that raised me. They deserved to be called my parents. It wasn't treachery, it was just an acknowledgment of all that they had done to me and meant to me over the years.

Perhaps I could call Esme tonight and talk to her. She could never soothe me like Bella could but she would listen and offer her support.

Bella.

I wanted to call her – more than anything – but I knew I shouldn't. She had really taken a liking to Mrs Cope and I knew her death – though it was expected – would devastate my angel and I couldn't bring myself to do that. To ruin her trip to London.

I would just have to cope as I had coped in the years I had spend without her.

As soon as I walked into the house I could smell the vile stench of one of Alice's attempts at cooking. Judging by the putrid smell of burned tomato's is was supposed to be Alice's rendition of Esme's special tomato soup, a recipe my pixie sister had convinced herself she was able to make.

I walked into the kitchen to find the place a mess, it looked like some science experiment had gone horribly wrong. The whole kitchen appeared to be covered in tomato goo and God knows what else and there wasn't a pan she hadn't used.

"I'm not eating this," Libby huffed, trying to move her spoon through the thick, lumpy substance in her bowl.

"You are," Alice spat back. "I spend all afternoon cooking this and now you are going to eat it, even if it's the last thing you do."

"It will be the last thing I do," Libby complained, looking at her bowl like there was a poisonous snake swimming in it.

"I know it looks a bit odd," Alice offered. "But I can assure you it tastes absolutely delicious."

"It's brown," Libby stated, pulling up one of her eyebrows. "Tomato soup is supposed to be red. Not brown."

"Eat!" Alice ordered.

"Don't wanna!" Libby yelled back, throwing her spoon back into the bowl, splattering the substance all over the table.

I decided to intervene before Alice would start forcing the stuff down Libby's throat like she was feeding a goose. I knew all too well how it felt to be subjected to Alice's cooking like that.

"What's going on here?" I asked, feigning ignorance, as I stepped into the room.

"Aunt Alice is forcing me to eat this!" Libby complained, looking a bit scared as she held up her bowl to me. On close inspection the stuff really did look brown.

"Alice......" I started.

"Have you tasted it Edward?" Alice growled, jumping out of her seat. "How do you know she's right if you haven't?"

"I know your cooking sis," I chuckled, putting a safe distance between the two of us none the less.

Alice glared at me, reaching behind her to grab her own bowl of soup and throwing it at my head. I was too quick to breathe a sigh of relief as I managed to evade the flying object, so I didn't notice that the bowl had crashed against the wall behind me until I felt the soup splash against me from behind.

"Alice," I hissed. "You've gone too far this time."

"Oh really," she glared, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "And what are you going to do about it?"

I contemplated throwing Libby's bowl at her head but decided against it. I would have a hell of a time getting the wall behind me cleaned as it was, if I was going to start a food fight I would probably have to sped the rest of the time Bella was away repainting the kitchen.

I grinned as a plan started to form in my head.

"Oh no you wouldn't," Alice groaned as she followed my gaze back in to the hallway.

"Try and stop me," I grinned as I sped out of the kitchen as fast as I could, ran up the stairs and into the guest bedroom Alice was staying in, my sister hot on my heals.

I wasted no time before jumping into the closet, smearing the brown tomato goo against as many of her clothes as I could reach.

"I'll get you for this you immature swine!" she snarled, stomping her foot while throwing empty hanger at my head as I kept wallowed through her clothes.

"You two are funny," Libby hiccuped from the doorway. She was laughing so hard she was almost falling over, her sweet face turning red as she gasped for air.

"So you think this is funny?" Alice shrieked, acting like Libby had just told her she liked boiling little puppies.

Libby nodded furiously, looking from Alice to me.

"What is it with this family?" Alice huffed, raising her hands to the sky before storming out of the room. "And you're paying my dry cleaning bill!" she yelled over her shoulder before she stomped downstairs again.

"As long as you're cleaning up the kitchen!" I yelled after her.

"I wouldn't go downstairs right now daddy," Libby stated as she helped me get out of the closet.

"I think you're probably right," I agreed with her, pulling a piece of what I presumed was overcooked paprika out of my hair. "I need to go clean up anyway."

"You smell," Libby said, scrunching up her little nose.

"Will you come get me if your mom calls?" I asked. I hated leaving the phone for even a minute, afraid that Bella needed me.

"Of course," she replied, rolling her eyes at me.

I let the warm water of the shower wash all the chunky goo out of my hair and neck, thinking about what I was going to do to prevent the rest of the night from turning into the Cold War. I really loved Alice but sometimes she could be stubborn as hell and scary as Jack the Ripper.

I walked back into the bedroom, glancing at the alarm clock on the bedside table. Only a few more hours until Bella would call. I had made her promise to call me every night when she was back at the hotel, even if she knew it was nighttime in New York or I was working. That way I knew she was safe and had survived another day of having to take care of twenty five teenagers.

It wasn't that I didn't trust Jasper to take care of her – I really did – it was just that I wanted to know. I wanted to know what her day had been like. I wanted to know that her hotel room was still alright. I wanted to know that she was safe and happy. But most of all I just wanted to hear her voice.

It soothed me.

It calmed me.

It got me through another night.

When I went downstairs I found that Libby had done the job for me. She and Alice were camped out on the sofa, a large pepperoni pizza in front of them, as they watched Cinderella together. I don't know if Libby realized that it was Alice's favorite fairytale when we grew up – the makeover Cinderella got before going to the ball obviously having something to do with that – or that it was just Libby's uncanny ability to assess a situation but she had made every ounce of Alice's anger disappear before I even had to grovel.

"Hi daddy," she sang from her spot on the sofa. "Are you going to watch with us?"

"If you don't mind," I replied, cautiously glancing at Alice as I grabbed a slice.

"If you must," she huffed. It was clear she hadn't quite forgiven me.

"How was you day daddy?" Libby saved, mimicking Bella's voice almost perfectly. "Did you save many people's lives?"

I sighed, knowing that there was no way to hide the ugly truth from her for long.

"What happened daddy?" Even Alice looked up in wonder as my reply took longer than they expected.

I moved to sit next to my daughter on the couch, wrapping her protectively in my arms before I explained to her what happened.

"Sometimes a person is just too sick to ever get better again and you're powerless to help them," I concluded after I told her of Mrs. Copes demise.

She just sat there silently, her face buried in my chest for a moment as I wondered whether it had been right to tell her. Should I have waited for Bella to be here before I told her? What if I had done the wrong thing? What if Libby would be emotionally scarred by this? Bella would never forgive me. Hell, _I _would never forgive me.

"I know you did everything you could daddy," Libby finally sniffed.

"It's just......." I looked into her eyes, trying to explain the powerlessness I had felt as I watched the old lady die.

"It was her time Edward," Alice soothed, wrapping her own arms around the three of us. "There was nothing you could have done."

"I know," I sighed. "Still......she was one of my first patients here. It's hard to let her go."

"Mommy said that she was going to a much better place," Libby offered, placing one of her hands on my cheek as she had seen Bella do sometimes. "You know? Like a holiday. And she will get to see Mr Cope again."

"Yeah," I sighed, once again glad that my wonderful, lovely fiancé had prepared our daughter for the inevitable. "She really missed him."

"So it's not that bad," Libby continued, rubbing her tiny hands over my cheek.

"You're right sweetie," I said, trying to force a smile onto my face. "She's gone to a better place now."

She lay her head against my chest again, her face angled towards the TV as she continued to watch the cartoon where Cinderella had just lost one of her glass slippers.

She dozed off somewhere during the movie. I noticed her breathing had gone deep and rhythmic and she started to slowly whisper about how the cute little puppy was very bad for peeing in the sandbox.

I couldn't hold back my laughter as I heard her. I had only discovered about how Libby had inherited Bella's tendency to talk in her sleep about a few weeks ago when she had had a bad dream and slept in between Bella and me in our bed. The two of them, muttering softly in their sleep had been one of the sweetest things I had ever witnessed in my life.

"I'll get her to bed," I announced to Alice who was gazing at Libby with an adoring look in her eyes. I wouldn't be surprised if she would announce a pregnancy before this year was over.

Libby woke up a little as I tried to get her changed and cleaned for bed.

"Daddy?" she asked groggily.

"I'm just trying to get you into bed sweetheart," I explained.

"Did mommy call yet?"

"No honey," I sighed. "I think she's still busy."

"I miss her," she yawned as I placed her under the covers.

"I know. I miss her too."

"How many days until she gets back?" I could hear by the tone of her voice that she was already half asleep again.

"Just four more days love," I said, kissing her forehead. "Sweet dreams pumpkin."

"Night daddy," she muttered. "love ya."

"Are you sure you're alright Edward?" Alice asked as I walked into the living room again. "I know how important Mrs Cope was to you."

"I'm fine," I said. "Don't worry about me."

"Do you want to call her?"

"I don't want to bother her. Bella has enough on her plate right now. She doesn't need to deal with this as well." I replied. There was nothing I wanted to do more than to call Bella right now – maybe apart from jumping on the first available plane and jetting to London to be with her – but I knew it would be wrong to give into my childish fears.

"I'm sure she'd love to hear from you," Alice insisted. "Don't shut her out Edward."

"I'll tell her when she calls tonight," I sighed, flipping through the channels. It was a hollow promise, Alice knew that as well as I did. Bella deserved to have a happy time in London and - knowing how attached she had become to Mrs Cope – I knew that time would be ruined when she found out what happened. I would tell her when she got back.

Only four more days,.

--

BPOV

--

I tried very hard to suppress my giggles as I looked at the scene in front of me but I didn't quite manage to succeed, especially not when I saw Jasper was in the same kind of state.

We had just finished our tour of the National Portrait Gallery and now the pupils were scattered across the floor in one of the rooms working on part of their assignment. They had behaved pretty good during the tour. It wouldn't have been the first time in my carrier that a group of pupils would have descended on the museum and it's unsuspecting visitors like a barbarian horde.

We were assembled in front of John Everett Millais painting of the Princes in the Tower. Part of the assignment was to copy the painting and transfer it to an abstract rendition in five steps. Zafrina had showed me a version she had done herself of another painting and it looked fantastic. I couldn't wait to see what our pupils would make of it.

"What painting was your favorite?" I overheard Chelsea ask Demetri. She was such a sweet timid girl, hopelessly in love with Demetri even though she knew he hardly acknowledges her existence.

"The one of the guy with the beard," He replied, scrutinizing the painting.

"Like that narrows it down," Nate snorted, pushing him over. "Half the blokes in this museum have beards."

"Asshole!" Demetri replied, prodding Nate in the ribs. Poor Chelsea had been forgotten.

"So, what painting did you mean?" I asked, sitting down on an empty patch of hardwood floor..

"The one of that old guy. Wasn't he a pope or something?"

"You mean that painting by Raphael?" I asked, remembering we had passed that one during our guided tour. I was pleasantly surprised his pick wasn't one of the nudes. I knew Chuck had been drooling all over the Rokeby Venus most of the afternoon.

"Yeah, whatever. My dad has a copy of it hanging in his study and I kind of liked seeing the real thing," he said absentmindedly as he concentrated on his work.

"And what was your favorite?" I asked Chelsea.

"The one Rembrandt did of his mistress," she replied, her pencil scratching over the paper. "The one where she's standing in the water in her nightgown. And yours?"

"The painting of Jane Grey," I stated without having to think much on the matter. The painting had really moved me, especially after I had heard the story of the 'nine day queen' a few days ago in the Tower. The painter had really captured the innocence of the girl and the despair she must have felt during her last hours on earth.

We gave the pupils a few hours to do their work before we continued out program at the National Portrait Gallery next door.

"God those Tudor chicks were ugly," Chuck gasped as we walked through the museum. "You imagine old Henry actually wanting to tap that?" He pointed in horror to a painting depicting Anne Boleyn.

"Yeah man," Demetri agreed. "She should be happy they got someone decent to play her on that TV show."

"You mean the one where they go at it like rabbits all the time?" Nate asked, standing behind them.

"Boys!" I scolded. I had noticed we started to get strange looks from some of the regular visitors.

"What?" Chuck asked in a hurt tone. "They do fuck like rabbits in that show!"

"Chuck Bass! If you don't start behaving yourself in public you'll find yourself on the next available plane back home," I scolded. Chuck had always been one to test his boundaries, though he never did it in an underhand sort of way like the Volturi's did.

"My dad would love that," he muttered.

"Well?" I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"Sorry miss," he said, looking innocently. "And sorry to the good people of London!" He yelled through the room.

I looked around me apologetically. Fortunately most of the people seemed to be amused by Chucks behavior.

"Idiot!" I muttered under my breath.

"Are you allowed to say thing like that miss?" Demitri smirked.

"Go away!" I scolded.

"I don't know if I should be happy about the fact that they paid enough attention during class to know who the Tudors were or just embarrassed by their behavior?" Jasper growled as we passed another group of students.

"I'd settle for happy," Zafrina chuckled. "It's a much better feeling."

We gave the kids some time to explore the city after that, instructing them to meet us at five thirty in front of the Globe theatre. We'd have a tour through the building and grab a quick bite to eat at a place nearby before we would be seeing a play there.

I was so excited for that. I had seen performances of Shakespeare's play before in New York and when I was still in college but this time I would get to see it as Shakespeare intended it.

I had heard about the replica they had build of Shakespeare's Glove Theatre on the bank of the river Thames but I had never thought I would get the chance to visit it myself.

"…..and so it was deemed inappropriate for women to take part in acting on the stage." The tour guide explained.

"But….." Serena asked. "What about Romeo and Juliet? Juliet was a girl………"

She wasn't the only one who seemed baffled by this little piece of information.

"The role of Juliet was played by a boy," the guide stated as if it was completely normal.

"A boy?" Blair shrieked. "But how did they do the kissing and stuff?"

"Just like it is done today," the guide explained. "A boy would play the female parts until he started to grow a beard and his voice got too heavy to be convincing as a woman's voice, then they'd find another."

"So all Elizabethan actors where gay?" Demetri hollered.

"Not all of them….." the guide answered as we walked into the actual theater.

I wasn't surprised to see the building had a half open roof – I had seen it when we had looked at the website – though it seemed rather unpractical for a nation that was know for being wet and windy. The tour guide explained that the places in the yard – which was just an open space with a concrete floor and no seats – cost only a penny in Shakespeare's times, and were filled with ordinary people looking for a nice diversion. They were still the cheapest seats as they were open to the elements. I was glad that we had opted for the more expensive seats that had a roof over them since it promised to rain tonight.

"So what do they do when it starts raining?" Zafrina asked. "Do they suspend the play?"

"They do the same thing they did when Shakespeare was still alive," the guide said. "They continue playing."

"But everyone will get wet!" Jane barked.

"You can bring a raincoat with you if you won't want to get wet, but yes…..you are open to the elements." It was clear that the guide was about as charmed by the likes of Jane as we were.

"I'm not getting wet," Jane huffed. "This coat cost more than you make in a year. It will be ruined if it gets wet."

"Jane!" Jasper growled. This wasn't the first guide that had met the more unpleasant side of the Volturi's.

"What? I'm merely stating the obvious."

"If you don't like the things we have planned for you, you can go back to the hotel and spend the night in your room," Jasper spat back. "Do you want that?"

Jane scowled at him before rejoining the group which was now assembled around the stage and getting a lesson in Shakespearean seating arrangements.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat before returning to the theatre to take out seats. It was almost dark now and the air was starting to get a little chilly so as soon as everyone had taken up their seats a big changing of clothes took place. We had ordered everyone to put the warmest sweater they had in their bags this morning and I was glad to see most of the kids had taken our warning about the cold for granted.

As soon as the play started everyone was silent. It was amazing to see how the round structure of the building allowed everyone to hear what was being said on the stage without the usage of microphones or any other modern equipment. The only touch of modernity was the fact that the building had electrical lighting as opposed to burning torches and indoor plumbing.

Soon after the play started we also found out how lucky we were to be sitting under the small area that was covered when the heavens opened and rain came pouring down on us.

"What the fuck are they doing?" I could hear Nate whisper to Blair as he looked at the people in the stalls who started to frantically fumble through their bags.

"I think they are getting their rain coats," Blair answered.

"Shut up," Serena hushed. "I can't hear what is being said on the stage."

They refocused on the events on the stage where the evil king was ordering the death of his little nephews, on of which also being the king.

"They look like a bunch of flavored condoms," Demetri chuckled behind me, pointing at the people in the cheap pastel colored rain poncho's in the stalls.

I snorted, noticing how they did resemble a bunch of condoms. Very cold, very wet condoms.

The way the pupils sat and listened quietly throughout the play amazed me. I had been worried about taking them here since I didn't know if they would like it and be able to keep their mouths shut during the performance.

"So why did old Bill made Richard into such an ugly evil bastard?" Demetri asked as we headed back to the subway station.

"Think about the Battle of Bosworth, where Richard was killed and defeated" Jasper offered. He had spend quite a lot of time during class explaining all about the rise of the Tudors.

"What about it?" Demetri asked, annoyed that he wasn't getting a simple answer.

"Who won?" Jasper continued.

"Wasn't it that Henry guy?" Nate chimed in.

"Yes," Jasper nodded. "Now who was the granddaughter of Henry VII?"

"Queen Elizabeth," Serena panted, rushing to catch up.

"Who was the employer of……" Jasper chuckled.

"Shakespeare," they all sang in unison.

"Ah, so Billy started a smear campaign to get into her knickers?" Demetri smirked.

"I wouldn't know about getting into her panties, I mean….she was known as the _Virgin Queen_ after all" Jasper laughed, "but he did want to appease his queen."

"Guys!" Zafrina yelled, running up behind us as we reached the underground station. "Something is wrong."

--

EPOV

--

"Can you take a look at these sketches and tell me what you think?" Alice asked from the door opening.

"In a minute," I said, trying to read up on tomorrows surgeries.

"No, now," she huffed, shoving the paper in front of my nose.

"What is it anyway?" I asked, turning my focus to the sketches.

"It's a sketch of the decorations for the meadow," she said. "I think it would look lovely like this."

"Shouldn't you wait before Bella gets back then?"

"Nope," she said, popping the 'p'. "I want this to be a surprise for her when she walks down the isle."

"In other words: you don't think she'll agree with your plans so you go ahead anyway under the cover of 'surprise'?" I smirked.

"Not fair," she huffed. "Just look at it and tell me what you think."

I took a look at the paper in front of me. Alice had taken pictures of the meadow from all possible angles before she got back to New York last winter and had used some of the pictures as a basis to make some sort of collage, using the description I had given Bella five years ago as a model.

"I think Bella will like it," I said, looking at the picture in front of me. Alice had really worked her magic. It was exactly like we had described it to her.

"I was thinking freesias for the flowers," Alice mused, "since you told me her scent reminded you of that….."

"Alice, please for the love of God, don't bother me with flowers," I groaned, knowing that if I didn't put my foot down now it was going to be lace ribbons and rose petals next. "I have to prep for tomorrows surgeries and Bella is going to call me any minute now."

She was actually already getting a bit late. I knew she was going to see a play tonight but that should have been finished around about eleven local time and it was past midnight now. She should have been back at the hotel half an hour ago.

Perhaps the play went on longer than expected.

Perhaps they went and had drinks after the play.

Perhaps something was wrong.

No.

Don't think about that.

It's probably nothing. She's going to call in a few minutes. Stop acting like an idiot. Stop freaking out.

"Earth to Edward," Alice chuckled. "What's going on?"

"Bella hasn't called yet," I sighed, knowing that my inquisitive sister would never stop until I told her.

"And you think something is wrong?" she asked, her face showing her own concern.

"It's nothing," I tried once again to convince myself. "It's just that.......she should have called by now."

"I'll try Jasper," Alice offered, pulling her mobile phone out of the pocket of her pants and dialing Jaspers number.

I listened with growing fear at the conversation that followed. Something was wrong. Alice's face and Jasper's long explanation told me as much.

"What happened?" I almost yelled at Alice, unable to wait for her to end the conversation.

"The Volturi twins are missing....."

_**I know, I know, I'm the female Grinch for posting this chapter right before Christmas and leaving you hanging until Monday........The worst thing is that I actually like being evil. I don't know. Perhaps it has something to do with the holidays and all the cozy, friendly stuff that brings about. It releases my inner bitch ;-)**_

_**I've actually seen a play in the New Globe Theatre and it was amazing even though it was freezing, pouring with rain (luckily we were under cover as well) and the play (The Merchant of Venice) laster for over three hours. **_

_**So what do you think happened to the Volturi twins? Did they run off? Will they pop up again? Where they abducted by aliens?**_

_**Review and let me know your thought (and look out for the Prologue to Carlisle's Angels somewhere during the weekend)**_

_**Merry Christmas / insert holiday of your choosing everyone!**_


	36. Panic in the streets of London

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

* * *

_**This chapter mostly deals with the search for the Volturi twins and – though I am a high school teacher – I don't have any experience with missing kids (thank God). I have however talked to some of my colleagues about what they would do if a kid went missing during an excursion and incorporated their reactions in this chapter. I'm not a detective and I have no clue about how the Missing Persons department operates so most of the stuff relating to that has been gathered from the Internet, my addiction to BBC detective series and common sense. I hope I did a good job at it.**_

* * *

**Panic in the streets of London.**

"So what do we do now?" I asked as a panting Zafrina had explained to us that the Volturi twins had somehow managed to sneak off when we were assembling in front of the theatre after the show.

"Are you sure they bailed on us?" Jasper said. "They could have just gotten lost or something."

"Sure," Zafrina snorted. "Did you bump your head on one of those low beams? Of course they ran off."

"I have to agree with Jasper here," I said. "Until we're absolutely sure they didn't loose us somewhere in between the theatre and the station we can't just conclude they ran."

"Then what do you propose we do?" she scowled.

"How about the two of you take the rest of the kids back to the hotel while I head back to the Globe to see if they are still there?" I offered. I really wanted to believe the Volturi's had somehow lost sight of the rest of the group but realistically I knew Zafrina was probably right.

"Good plan," Jasper nodded, "Though I suggest we try calling them first."

I blushed, knowing I should probably have thought of that myself. All three of us had programmed the mobile numbers of all twenty five kids in our contact list. It was an easy way to find them if something happened.

"Straight to voicemail," Jasper spat shaking his head before he left an angry message.

It only conformed our suspicions. If Jane and Alec had gotten lost, they would have answered the phone to tell us how very irresponsible we had been for not doing a headcount before walking away from the theatre. Or, even more likely, they would have called us straight away to tell us how lousy we were at taking care of them.

"I'll best get on my way," I sighed. We _had_ been irresponsible for not doing a headcount. I had thought that because we had kept together during the evening no one would have been able to get away. I realized now how naive that had been, especially since we were dealing with the Volturi twins.

"We'll ask the kids that are sharing a room with them if they know something when we get back," Zafrina said. "Call us if you've got any news."

"I will," I said before walking out of the station.

I made my way slowly back to the theatre, searching every side street for a sign of the terrible two, while cursing myself, the twins and their father for making us take them along.

They were just closing up at the theatre when I reached the building, a sourly looking woman letting me in only after I had banged on the glass entrance doors for almost five minutes. I couldn't blame her. It was already past eleven in the evening, she must be dying to get home.

"We seem to have lost two members of our group when we were leaving after the show," I explained. "Have you seen them?"

"I don't think so," she said, her expression changing from chagrined to compassionate, "but let me just ask my colleagues."

She took me with her to the coat room where most of the other employees of the theatre were getting ready to leave, quickly explaining to them what had happened.

"What did they look like?" an older man asked.

"They are twins, so they look alike. They both have dark blond hair and piercing blue eyes. They are small for their age, I guess you could say they have kind of a delicate build."

"Do they act like your typical spoiled little teenaged brat?" a small woman with a Scottish accent asked. "No offense of course."

"None taken," I said quickly. "And they do."

"Then I think I saw them earlier tonight over by the lavatory's," she said pensively. "I think they were expressing their displeasure with the hotel."

"Has anyone seen them after the performance ended?" I asked. The chances were slim but perhaps I might be so lucky.

"Sorry, I haven't," the older man said, "do you think they scarpered?"

"I think so," I nodded, the enormity of what happened crashing down on me like a ton of bricks. How were we ever going to find them in a city as big as this? Where to start? What to do now?

"Would you like me to lend you a hand dear?" the older man placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Please," I said. "I don't know what to do next. I know I should probably call their parents and file a missing person's report or something but I don't know where to start....."

"How about I take you back to the hotel and we discuss things with your colleagues," he offered. I had told them how Jasper and Zafrina had taken the rest of the kids back. "Maybe they even showed up there."

"Thank you so much," I whispered, trying very hard not to cry.

We said goodbye to the rest of the staff, who all expressed their sympathy and wished me good luck and was escorted to a car by the older man whom I found out was called Charles Bingley, a coincidence I would have found amusing in any other circumstance than this.

"I'm sure everything will be alright dear," he tried to comfort me as we drove back to the hotel.

I knew I should probably be more apprehensive about accepting lifts from strangers but this man was so kind and compassionate I just couldn't imagine him being some kind of ax murderer or sexual predator.

"I hope so," I said with a shaking voice. "But I know them long enough to realize what they are capable of."

"So they are quite the pair of hell raisers?" he asked.

"We don't call them the witch twins for nothing," I sighed.

I nearly ran up the stairs as soon as we reached the hotel, anxious to know if Jasper and Zafrina had found out more. The look on their faces was enough to realize they still hadn't showed up yet.

"Blair and Serena both tried calling them but I think they switched off their phones," Zafrina said. "Did you find out anything back at the theatre?"

"They were spotted but not after the play ended," I sighed. "This is Charles by the way. He works at the theatre and offered to help us out with filing a missing person's report."

"Do you really think we should proceed with that?" Zafrina wondered.

"I think we should.......after we've called Aro," I sighed. "They are just kids after all. We're responsible for them." I turned to Charles who was standing in a corner of the room. "Do you mind waiting for a little while? I'm sorry, but I think we have to call their father before we proceed. I'd understand if you want to leave."

"Nonsense, dear," he chuckled, taking a seat. "Take all the time you need."

"I agree with Bella," Jasper said. "We have to act soon if we are going to find them."

"So who's going to call Aro?" Zafrina's question all had us freezing up. Dealing with Aro was bad enough on a regular day, let alone when you had managed to loose both of his precious offspring.

"I'll do it," I offered, searching for my phone. I was the one who had built up the most credit with Aro over the last few years. Perhaps he wouldn't fire me straight away when I told him the news.

"Please don't pick up. Please don't pick up. Please don't pick up," I chanted as the phone started ringing. Both Zafrina and Jasper looked at me apologetically as I waited.

"_Miss Swan!"_ Aro's heavy voice boomed through the receiver._ "To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected phone call?" _

"I'm not sure if it's going to be a pleasure," I started. "I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you."

"_What is it?" _All false pleasantry had left his voice.

"I'm afraid some of the students have left our party when we walked back after tonight's play," I explained, trying to break the news to him in pieces.

"_What do you mean miss Swan?" _he insisted. _"How did they leave you?"_

"When we got to the underground station we noticed two of the students were missing. No one has seen them since and their phones have been switched off." I talked as quickly as I could. Part of it had something to do with the nerves that were hammering through my body, part because I wanted to get through this as fast as I could.

"_Two students?" _Judging by the tone of his voice Aro had been able to put two and two together.

"Jane and Alec," I whispered.

"_WHAT!"_ Zafrina and Jasper looked up, no doubt hearing Aro's voice even from across the room where they were standing._ "How on earth could you loose them! They would never just take off like that. You must have been grossly negligent. I demand an explanation!" _

"I don't have anything else to say apart from what has been said already," I replied, trying to reign in my own emotions. It would do me no good to start crying right now. "We don't know anything more than that."

"_What has been done to find them?"_ he barked.

"I've searched the route from the station to the theatre and the theatre itself but they aren't there We've also tried calling them and having their friends call them but to no avail. They seemed to have switched off their phones."

"_Impossible,"_ he stated. _"They would never do such an irresponsible thing." _

"I can't think of any other explanation," I cried exasperated.

"_I'll try calling them myself,"_ he said and I could hear him dialing the number with what I assumed was his mobile phone or another line before I heard the now very familiar sound of Jane's voice mail, soon followed by Alec's.

"_Impossible,"_ he muttered again._ "I can't believe they would do such a thing." _

"I think it would be best if I went to the police to file a missing person's report," I said, hoping he had calmed down enough to handle this. "We have to act soon if we want to find them again."

"_Yes,"_ he agreed.

"Could you perhaps notify the embassy and other authorities concerned?"

"_Of course."_ Judging by the tone of his voice Aro had sprung into full action mode._ "Call me as soon as you have news."_

"Naturally," I sighed.

"_And miss Swan? The last words have not been spoken on this matter. There is still the question of how you managed to allow two children placed in your care to go missing." _

"I understand," I whispered before the connection was broken.

"Well, that went easy......." Jasper smirked.

"I'm just glad I didn't have to tell him face to face," I added, trying to relieve some of the built up tension. "I'm not sure I would have survived that."

"So what do we do now?" Zafrina asked.

"We go to the police," I sighed. "Like I said to Aro, the sooner we file a missing persons report, the sooner they will be able to find them......."

"And the sooner I'll be able to call them every name under the sun," Zafrina added.

"I only hope they are still in London," Jasper added. "I figure it will get a lot more difficult to find them if they went elsewhere."

"Knowing Aro he'll have Interpol on their track before morning," I said rolling my eyes. "I'd better get going. I can't make Mr Bingley wait any longer."

"Oh, never mind me," Charles laughed. "You have quite enough on your plate."

He drove us to the nearest police station. Fortunately because of the late hour we didn't have to wait long before a detective could see us.

"Ms Swan?" a man asked, as he stepped into the reception area. He looked every bit a gentleman, tall dark and handsome with an air of class and high society about him.

"That's me," I said standing up. "Isabella Swan."

"Inspector Lynley, missing persons," he introduced himself. "Now I understood from one of my colleagues that we're dealing with two underage persons who went missing after visiting a play?"

I quickly explained everything that happened from the last time we had seen them until I headed back to the hotel.

"I see," he nodded. "Now usually we don't pull out the heavy equipment until people have gone missing for a twenty four hour period, but seeing that they are both underage and we've already got their father and the people from the embassy breathing down our necks we are going to be taking a very proactive approach to this."

I couldn't help but laugh. I wasn't surprised to hear that Aro had everyone in an uproar within half an hour after my phone call. The only thing that amazed me was the connections the man appeared to have. I knew it would take more than a smile to get the entire diplomatic service in motion.

"Do you have any idea of where they might have gone?" he asked.

"I don't know anything for certain, but I think they may have gone to another hotel," I said. "They had been complaining about our choice of accommodation."

"So you think they are still in the country?"

"As I said, I can't know for sure," I sighed, "but I don't think they will have left the country. Even though I wouldn't put it past them."

"We'll notify all port authorities to be on the safe side," the inspector smiled reassuringly as he scribbled away in his notebook. "We will also need to speak with the rest of the group, especially those closest to the twins."

"Of course," I said. "They are at the hotel. My colleagues are with them. I assume you need to speak with them as well."

"Yes," he nodded, "plus we'd like to get a recent picture of them if you have any. That way the beat officers will know who to look out for."

I quickly delved a picture of the two of them in front of the Houses of Parliament, made by Blair a few days ago out of my purse. "We had anticipated that request," I explained as I shoved it in the inspectors direction. "Luckily one of our pupils made this picture two days ago. We were able to get it printed at the hotel."

"Good," the inspector said. "Now, I'd like to speak with the pupils as soon as possible. So I'd be obliged if you'd accompany me to the hotel while my sergeant starts making inquiries at all the London hotels to see of they've turned up there.

"That's fine," I said.

"Thank you so much for everything." I tried to smile as I said goodbye to Charles. "I don't know what I'd done without you."

"My pleasure," he grinned. "I'm sure you'd have been fine lass. I was just the lucky bugger who got to help a lovely lady out."

"Still, you've been a great support......."

"Nah, don't mention it," he waved, still not accepting my heartfelt thanks. "Just don't tell the missus I spend the night with a beautiful young woman," he grinned, before he stepped out of the police station. "She'll have my guts for garters."

I chuckled in spite of myself as I followed inspector Lynley to his car, a classic sports car that stuck out amidst the cop cars.

"I understood from the paperwork that you're staying at the Queens Park Hotel?" he asked as he pulled out of the parking lot. A few other police officers followed us in a cop car. They would assist in the questioning of the students so they could get that over with as soon as possible though I doubted everything could 'go back to normal' for them after that as the inspector had said.

Most of the students were pretty stoic about the fact that they were woken up to be questioned about their missing classmates in the middle of the night. Most of them seemed to think of it as just a great story to tell. I guessed that over the years they had gotten used to the witch twins pulling stunts like that.

I hadn't been able to catch up with Jasper and Zafrina on what happened during my absence. As soon as I had gotten back to the hotel we'd had to wake the students up and accompany them to the rooms that had been designated as interview rooms. Since the pupils where still underage they couldn't be questioned without an adult present in the room so I spend the rest of the night hearing the same story over and over again.

Most of the students had picked up on the fact that Alec and Jane had been planning something but they never realized what it had been. If they had, they would have stopped the twins because they thought it was a hugely irresponsible thing to do.

After a while the correct and fake tone in which they dished out their rehearsed answers was starting to make me nauseous. Only a few of the kids seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation and really tried to help. The rest of them just thought it was all a big joke and gave the socially desirable answers so that they wouldn't be implicated in this mess.

The only one who was man enough to admit it was Demetri.

"Look," he grinned. "I don't have anything to do with this shit but I think it's an epic stunt!" he admitted to the stoic looking officer in front of him.

"Demetri," I hissed, shocked at his deviation from the story I had been hearing all night.

"What?" he replied innocently. "It's not like I'd do it. You know I would never trouble you like that miss! All I'm saying is that I respect a good stunt when I see it!"

I shook my head in disgust. Really, I could try reasoning with him and telling him how much of an ass he was for saying a thing like that at a time like this but there was no getting through that thick skull of his.

"It seemed like they have been getting their story straight," Zafrina growled as soon as I entered out room again.

"So you got the same shit I did?" I asked.

"We don't know a thing and shame on those nasty kiddies for making all of us look bad?" Jasper smirked.

"Yup," I sighed, plopping down on the bed.

I had just seen the police officers out. They had finished interviewing everyone and were going back to the police station to assemble their data and coordinate the search.

"Oh and Bella, you might want to call Edward," Jasper added, half asleep. "Alice called me because he was freaking out when you didn't call him."

"Shit!" I yelled, almost running for my phone. All tiredness temporarily forgotten. In all of the commotion surrounding the investigation I had completely forgotten to call him.

I glanced at my watch as I dialed the number. Four o clock in the morning. That meant it was still evening in New York.

How could I have been so stupid as to forget? Edward must have been sick with worry.

--

EPOV

--

"_The Volturi twins are missing....."_

The sentence seemed to be reverberating though my head as I watched Alice wrap up her conversation with Jasper.

The Volturi twins were missing.

I knew full well what trouble that would cause for my poor angel. Apart for having to search for them and the fact that Aro would be livid when he found out I had no doubt in my mind that she would somehow find a way to blame herself for what happened.

"What happened Alice?" I pleaded once again as Alice snapped her phone shut.

"It seemed those little pieces of shit ran off after the play. They must have planned everything out before cause no one saw a thing. They only noticed Jane and Alec where gone when they reached the subway station."

I smirked. From what Bella had told me about them they were anything if not thorough. There was no way anyone would find them – not even my Bella – if they didn't want to be found.

"Bella has been on the phone with Aro before she went to the police to report the twins missing. I think that's why you haven't been able to reach her," Alice continued.

"How did he react?" I asked. Stupid question! It wasn't as if I didn't know how he would react.

"Like to be expected," Alice smirked. "He had a fit."

"So what are they going to do now?" My head was spinning with everything Alice had told me. I wanted nothing more than to get on the first plane heading for London and be with Bella. I knew she was suffering but I found myself helpless to do anything about it. If only I could get my hands on those two little miscreants.....

"Jasper promised to have Bella call you as soon as she is able to, but that may not be for a little while," Alice said. "There's so much stuff to deal with."

From what I knew from the few detective series I'd seen on the television I could only imagine what Bella would have to go through tonight.

"Daddy?" I didn't notice Libby coming down until she stood next to me, rubbing the sleep out of eyes.

"What is it honey?" I said, trying to expel the worry from my voice.

"Can't sleep," she said in a tiny voice. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I sighed. "I think mommy just forgot to call me and I got a little worried." There really was no point in dragging Libby into all this. It would only make her confused and frightened.

"You're lying," Libby stated, glaring at me. "Mommy says it not nice to lie."

"Mommy's right as usual," I sighed. "It is not very nice to lie and you should never do it."

"Then why did you do it and what has happened?" she demanded.

"I lied so that you wouldn't be worried unnecessarily," I admitted. "There are some problems with one of the kids that's with mommy on the excursion."

"Of course Libby didn't rest before she had pried the entire story out of me. "Why don't you call mommy?" she asked after I had concluded my account.

"I really want to but mommy's very busy right now," I said. "Uncle Jasper has promised he'll make her call us when she's ready."

"I'm going to wait with you," she stated and I knew better than to oppose her. Bella would probably be angry that I kept our daughter up this late but I'd like to see her try and put Libby to bed when she didn't want to.

I chuckled to myself. Who was I kidding? She'd probably succeed. She could do anything.

"Just try to sleep, baby," I pleaded with her as I settled the two of us on the couch in the living room.

"Kay," she muttered as she snuggled into my chest. She was out like a light before even a minute had passed, allowing me to try and get my head around what had happened.

Knowing Aro he'd probably hurtle all kinds of abuse at her for loosing his kids. He might even fire her for this. She might loose everything she had worked so hard to built up over those years when we had been apart.

I wished there was something I could do.

Something to protect her.

Keep her safe.

It was all my fault of course.

If I hadn't pushed her to organize this whole fucking fail train of an excursion then she would never have been in this situation. She would have been home with me, in bed, with nothing to worry about.

I had made a promise to myself to always protect her and keep her happy and before we had even been back together for a year I had already broken that promise more times than I'd like to admit.

Monster.

"Stop it," Alice barked at me.

"Stop what?" I spat back.

"You're blaming yourself again," she hissed.

"Am not," I argued.

"Oh really Edward," she snorted. "I think Bella's bad acting skills are rubbing off on you."

"Why don't you just go away? Paint your nails or something?" The sting in my cheek told me Alice had just slapped me. Damn that pixie was fast! I didn't even notice her lift up an arm to hit me.

"And what? Let you wallow in self pity like you've done the last five years?" she questioned. "That would sure be a big help to Bella."

"I was the one who made her go on that bloody field trip," I hissed through my teeth, admitting defeat yet again.

"You're seriously overestimating your own charm if you think you can just dazzle Bella into doing something she doesn't really want to do," she said rolling her eyes. "And besides that, she was having fun before all of this happened."

"If you're trying to make me feel better then you're not doing a very good job," I snorted.

"I'm not trying to make you feel better you idiot," she screeched as softly as she could so as not to wake up Libby. "I'm only trying to prevent you from making Bella feel even worse when she calls you."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" I barked.

"Only that the last thing Bella needs right now is a fight with you over who's to blame for all of this," Alice huffed. "Seriously Edward. I know you're my brother and I love you and all but you can be so dense sometimes. I just want to kick you butt!"

"Why don't you go ahead? I've earned it," I challenged her.

"Just in case you're forgetting: my boyfriend is out there as well! But do you see me wallowing in self guilt? NO!" I felt Libby stir as Alice hollered abuse at me. "And let me tell you why that is you dumb ass....."

"Oh enlighten me great Alice," I snarled, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Libby lifted her head, never quite opening her eyes, to find out what was happening. Apparently she concluded it was nothing out of the ordinary because she rested her head on my chest again and was asleep before we could say anything to comfort her.

"I actually have faith in Jasper," Alice spat back. "I know the situation he's in right now sucks but I have every fate in the fact that he's going to make everything right. The twins are going to be found, beaten to within an inch of their lives and they will all go home and live happily ever after." She glared at me, challenging me to ague with her words.

I knew part of her speech was wishful thinking. Psychic powers or not, there was no way she could know the outcome of all this. Still, I found myself wanting to believe her and feel humbled by her words.

Did I really have so little faith in Bella to think that she couldn't sort out this mess on her own?

Weren't those ghastly Volturi twins to blame for this?

I had little time to bask in the glow of my little light bulb moment since my phone started ringing.

Bella!

"I'll leave you to talk to her in private," Alice grinned. "Fill me in on what she said when you're finished will ya? That is......the PG13 bits."

Yeah right! As if we'd launch into a steamy phone sex session with her being in a room with three other people and me having our sleeping daughter lying on my chest.

I reached for my phone, careful not to wake Libby and was greeted immediately by the voice of my love.

"_Edward?" _My body seemed to loose a bit of it's pent up tension as her sweet voice floated through the receiver.

"Bella!" I all but yelled. "How are you."

"_Tired,"_ she sighed. _"I've been up all night."_

She proceeded to give me her account of what happened, her anger overpowering her words when she told me how the Volturi's had just made off and how most of the students hand been inwardly smirking at the guts Alec and Jane had shown by running off.

"_I was this close to resigning," _she sighed, _"I have never felt so ashamed for my students in my whole life. I can only imagine what the poor police officer must have been thinking." _

"I think he's used to it love," I chuckled. "They won't have been the first bunch of rebellious school kids they've met."

"_I guess,"_ she replied. I could still hear the fear, worry and doubt in her voice. It almost broke my heart, knowing that I was – at least – partly responsible for it but right before I could say anything Alice's words drifted back into my head. She had been right. It was the last thing Bella needed right now.

"So what are you going to do now?" I asked.

"_We'll continue with the program,"_ she explained. _"There's not much else we can do."_

"You're just going to continue?"

"_We can't just have twenty five – oh wait, twenty three – kids hanging around a hotel for three days,"_ she explained. _"It would create a total bedlam and everybody would be bored out of their skull. So Zafrina and I are going to take them to see Hampton Court as scheduled while Jasper stays back at the hotel in case Alec and Jane are found or the police need them...." _

I could hear there was more coming.

"_......oh and in case Aro gets here sooner than expected." _

"Aro is coming to London?"

"_What else did you expect?" _There was so much trepidation in her voice. I could understand why she didn't look forward to her boss' visit. _"His kids have gone missing. He's not going to just sit by the phone all day. If it were Libby I wouldn't......" _

"I guess you're right," I said. "I wish there was something I could do for you."

"_Just pray that everything turn out alright,"_ she sighed.

"I know it will," I replied, trying to draw from Alice's confidence. "Sleep my Bella, my love. You need it."

"_But I haven't even asked you about your day yet......"_ she complained.

"Call me tomorrow after you wake up," I chuckled. I was so like Bella to have gone through a day from hell and still worry she wasn't paying enough attention to others.

"_Kay,"_ she sounded just like Libby had a few hours ago: tired and half asleep.

"I love you," I said, before hanging up.

I looked up at the clock, it was passed midnight.

_Only three more days to go._

--

BPOV

--

I never imagined I could sleep like this after Libby had started sleeping though the night. Apparently it doesn't just take a newborn baby to enable you to fall asleep on top of a washing machine. Two seventeen year old examples of the devils spawn did the trick as well.

I woke up a few hours later still fully clothed, on top of the sheets while still clutching my phone in one hand.

The moment I opened my eyes the fear and guilt I had been feeling all through last night came crashing back into my head. A whole night had passed and still the twins had not been found. What if something terrible had happened to them? What if they had been bleeding to death in some alley while I had been sleeping in my bed? I'd never be able to live with myself.

What was to be done? How could I make it through this day, knowing the twins were still missing?

I moved Jaspers arm off my chest (he was definitely a breast man) and got up, deciding I would take full advantage of the fact that I was the first one to take possession of the shower today.

"Good morning," Jasper groaned while stretching his arms above his head as I walked out of the bathroom in fresh clothes after my shower.

"It would be if you stopped groping me in my sleep!" I said rolling my eyes at him.

"I don't...." he sounded a little unsure as he defended himself.

"Do to," Zafrina chimed in, raising herself up in a tangled mess of sheets and black hair. "You were practically raping the poor girl in her sleep! Just wait until I tell Emmett and Edward!" She fled into the bathroom after that, narrowly escaping a pillow that was launched at her head.

While Zafrina was in the shower I called inspector Lynley to find out if there had been any progress in the search. Unfortunately there hadn't. Most of the big tourist-hotels had been contacted but none of them had any guest by the name of Volturi and none of the night receptionists had recognized the picture. They were going to do another round in the hope the regular staff would be able to help them. Lynley still seemed optimistic about their chances of finding the twins.

At least that was something.

"I'm just going to walk into the park to call Edward," I said, breaking the awkward silence that followed the phone call. "We still have two hours before we have to leave for Hampton Court."

"Say hello to him for me," he said, never raising his eyes to look at me. "I think I'll sneak in a quick call to Alice myself."

I walked through the park while talking to Edward. It was late in the morning – we had decided to give everyone the morning off to catch some sleep – and the park was buzzing with activity. There were people running, mothers or nanny walking around with children and people walking their dogs. Then there were other tourists like me who didn't look where they were going and kept bumping into the locals.

I laughed at myself remembering how I used to so pissed at the bloody tourists wandering around Central Park, bumping into everybody. Much to my shame I was now one of them. I was seeing things in a whole new light now.

We left for Hampton Court shortly after noon, taking a bus to the palace. Most of the students were still buzzing with last nights events. We had given them a quick update at breakfast/brunch this morning but there was very little news to add to the story they already knew.

"I hope Jasper was right and they find them today," Zafrina growled as we neared the castle.

"I hope so too," I sighed. "I'd never forgive myself if anything happens to them."

"Then you might want to look away if the do find them today," Zafrina snorted. "The only reason I want them to find those little twerps today is because Aro's plane is landing tonight and I want to get my hands on those two before he gets here."

Everyone was actually quiet during the tour we took of the palace and the maze. We had instructed the children to be mindful of the differences between the other palace they had visited – the Tower of London – and this one and they were really getting into it, even to the point where they were basically harassing the poor guide with a barrage of questions.

"So do you know anything about Tudor plays?" Serena asked, having her mind set on getting a high mark.

The guide, a nice looking elderly lady, smiled and tried to answer Serena's questions as best as she could.

I was actually rather proud of them, a refreshing experience after last nights debacle. That was until we entered one of the state bedrooms.

"Is this the place where Henry boned that Anne Boleyn broad?" Chuck asked, appraising the ornate canopy bed.

I had to hand it to the guide: she never even flinched or showed any other signs of disgust at Chucks rude questions.

"Yes, I think that King Henry VIII must have indeed 'boned' his wife in this room." The term sounded even more sordid coming from the mouth of such a refined English lady. That, and the fact that the whole group by now was watching her with open mouth, had me giggling out loud.

"Way to go miss tour guide," Chuck laughed, bowing down in front of her.

For a moment the strain Jane and Alec's stunt had lifted over the excursion had gone and we were able to enjoy ourselves again. Then I remembered last night events again and the guilt and fear returned again.

My phone rang just after we had watched the pupils storm into the maze.

Jasper.

News.

Oh God.

"Yes?" I breathed.

"They found them." I loved Jasper for getting straight to the point.

"Thank God," I sighed. Zafrina couldn't help herself from letting out a huge relieved sigh of her own as she heard me. "Where? How?"

"It appeared they checked into the Burlington under a false name, using daddy's credit card to pay for the bills. They were on to them as soon as they started checking Aro's bank payments."

Part of me inwardly rejoiced in the fact that they had completely put Aro through the wringer. That was....the part of me that wasn't screaming for Volturi blood.

"Where are they now?" I asked.

"They are still at the station. I think they even put them in a cell or something though that might just be wishful thinking," Jasper chuckled. "I think Lynley wants to make them sweat a little. He's quite a decent kind of guy."

"Did you call Aro?" I asked, knowing their dad probably wanted to know his evil offspring was safe.

"I did," jasper replied. "His phone was still switched off but I left him a message so he should be getting the news as soon as his plane has landed."

"Alright," I said, closing off. "We'll get the kids back to the city and then we can go over to the police station. We should be able to get a good hour of yelling in before Aro arrives."

"Good plan," Jasper agreed. "See you in an hour or so."

As we drove back to London I send a quick text message to Edward explaining that the twins where found and that I would call him with more details after we had spoken to Aro. I sighed as soon as I had typed in the name.

Aro.

Now that would surely be an interesting conversation.

_**

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**__**The prologue for my new story CARLISLE"S ANGELS has been posted yesterday. It's very different from this one but I hope it will still turn out good. It's still very short but I'm well on my way to completing the first proper chapter. It will probably be posted on Thursday if I'm not too hung over. The link for CA can be found on my profile so if you want to read it and let me know what you think.......**_

_**This is also the part where I start with the blatant self promotion. Nominations for the Twilight Awards have started and it would be so totally and indescribably awesome if I got nominated I can't even begin to describe it. If you want to nominate my story or another story, this is the link where you can do so: www. twilightawards. **_

_**As always: please review and let me know what you thought of the chapter.**_


	37. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

* * *

**_Happy New Year everyone!_ **

* * *

**Aftermath.**

"When are we going to get mommy?" Libby asked for the hundredth time today. She was as anxious to get her mom back as I was.

"Soon, honey," I laughed, looking at the clock. The plane would be landing in three hours.

Three hours until I got to hold my Bella in my arms again.

The selfish part of me had hoped the rest of the excursion would have been canceled after the Volturi-disaster had ended but in the end they had decided to finish the program.

Both Bella and Jasper had been reluctant to talk about what happened that night when Aro had come to collect his evil spawn. I could only imagine it would have been a complete pandemonium.

Of course Aro would never accept any version of the truth where his kids were to blame.

I had only met him of a few occasions but he had been an easy person to read.

Conceited.

Megalomaniacal.

Tyrannical.

I didn't know how Bella and Jasper had been able to put up with him for all these years. The way he held his entire institution in an iron grasp, unwilling to see how his own children ran rampage among it, would have me either lunging at him or quitting after I day.

The realization that Bella could probably say the same about me made me chuckle.

"What is it daddy?" Libby asked, turning her head away from the TV-screen.

"Nothing," I just thought about something funny.

She tilted her head, assessing whether it would be worth her while to mis precious minutes of Dora the Explorer to ask me more questions or whether to just ignore me and keep watching. Much to my relief she decided on the latter.

"What's the time?" Alice sang, coming into the living room.

"T minus an hour and a half," I chuckled.

"God, I wish they would have taken an earlier flight," she growled. We had busied ourselves getting Alice's luggage back to her apartment today, all the while trying not to think about our loved ones arriving very soon.

"I know," I admitted, "though we'd probably have gone through the same motions only then it would have been a few hours earlier."

"You're probably right," Alice sighed. "Have you checked for traffic reports?"

"You know we are probably going to be at the airport half an hour before the plane lands don't you?" I rolled my eyes. "If we leave any earlier we'd probably make it in time if we walk!"

"I just can't wait to see Jasper again," Alice's eyes glazed over as she though about her boyfriend. "Oh, and to get Bella up to speed on the wedding."

"Back off pixie!" I warned. "I'm saving her for myself for the next few days."

"You always were bad at sharing," Alice pouted.

We bickered some more, just to pass the time until we could finally get to the airport.

"Are we there yet?" Libby asked. She had been asking that same question at every turn we made or every stop sign we passed. I inwardly cursed myself for letting her watch Shrek 2 last night. It might have given her some bad ideas........

"Almost," Alice grinned. She had been as bouncy as Libby once we finally got on our way. "See, you can see the airplanes from the window!"

"Where?" Libby squirmed in her booster seat, craning her neck to see the planes Alice was pointing towards. "I can't see it."

"We're nearly there honey," I said, easing the car into the exit for JFK airport."You'll see them soon."

Libby almost launched herself out of her seat as soon as I had undone the clasps of her seats. "Yay! I can see them now!" she squealed, pointing up to the huge jumbo jet that was flying over, preparing for landing. "Is that mommy's plane?"

"No sweetheart, mommy's plane won't be arriving for another half hour," I sighed, looking at my watch.

"Let's go see if we can do some shopping to bide our time," Alice suggested.

"Excellent plan," Libby stated, hi fiveing her aunt. She was such a precious little character. So grown up and still so little.

Even thought I had grown accustomed to my new role as a father I still praised every day we had together as a family. This last week – even though being apart from the woman who made me whole – had brought Libby and me closer together.

With her mother away Libby had felt free to ask me questions she knew would have been painful for her mother to hear and our new found openness had done us a world of good. I really learned to appreciate the way her little brain worked. And magical it was.

The way she had opened herself up to me in these last few months had been nothing short of amazing. Her courage and the warmth with which she had welcomed me into her little world had reminded me of Bella when we first met and even though her exuberant behavior definitely channeled Alice, I was even starting to recognized some things she might have inherited from me.

Half an hour, a new bright pink tie and two bags filled with stuff for Libby and Alice later we were waiting by the arrivals hall for Bella and Jasper to appear. The plane had been a little delayed but they were due to arrive any minute now.

"Up daddy!" Libby shouted, pulling at my jeans.

"That's not how your mom taught you to ask for something," I scolded. I knew I had been a little more....lenient than Bella had been during the last week but I didn't want Bella to think I had let her turn into a total savage.

"Daddy? Can you lift me up please?"she pleaded, batting her lashes at me. "I can't see mommy from here."

"Sure sweetheart," I chuckled, lifting her up and settling her on my side.

"I wonder how many of these people are parents to the little shits Jazz and Bella had to take care off for the past week?" Alice whispered.

I looked around me to see a mob of botoxed, unhappy looking people faking niceties at each other.

"I think most of them are here," I answered, indicating my head towards them, "though some send their employees."

A little distance apart from the money induced bold and surgical enhanced beautiful a few slightly nervous looking people had assembled, shooting nervous glances at the mob in front of them when they were not eying the exit of the departures hall.

"I think I can see them!" I almost jumped as Alice screeched in my ear, jumping up and down next to me.

"Where? Where?" Libby squirmed dangerously in my arms and between her wiggling and Alice's bouncing I was finding it more difficult to keep my balance every second.

"Ah, Mr Volturi," I heard someone of the fake squad behind me squeal in mock delight. What was that asshole doing here? His evil spawn had gone home with him days ago so he had no business here.

I wanted to punch him in the face for attempting to ruin our reunion. This was supposed to be a happy moment. The moment our family was going to be whole again.

And now the asshole was going to ruin it.

I had taken one tentative step backwards and was already loosening one arm from it's hold on Libby's frame when that tiny voice of reason told me that punching her employer in the face – though pleasant – would probably not help Bella's situation very much.

She needed her job. She loved her job.

Strange as it may seem.

"Just focus on Bella, Edward," Alice whispered, placing a hand on my back as she pushed me forward again.

"Thanks sis," I whispered back.

"I can see her!" Libby squealed, almost launching herself at the partition between the arrivals hall and the luggage hall.

--

BPOV

--

I was so incredibly tired.

Tired from having to take care of twenty five – no, scratch that......twenty three – seventeen year olds for a whole week.

Tired from having had no sleep at all in almost forty eight hours.

Tired of having to sleep next to a man who wasn't the love of my live for six nights.

But most of all I was tired of missing Edward and Libby.

"Could those people move any fucking slower?" Jasper growled beside me. Obviously he was as anxious to get to Alice as I was to Edward.

We still had our twenty three little troublemakers to dispose off though.

"Let's just get our luggage," I sighed, following the rest of the passengers to the luggage hall.

Of course with it being the last night our pupils had kept the tradition and stayed awake all night, ingesting the contraband liquor they had somehow managed to obtain while running screaming from one room to another.

We on our part had spend the first half on the night trying to follow the liquor trail and quieting everyone down and the last part preventing drunk pupils from choking in their own vomit or engaging in random sex acts they were going to regret later.

The effects of alcohol hadn't all been negative though.....

Empowered by a little bit of liquid courage Chelsea had launched herself into Demetri's lap and started kissing him like it was the end of the world. After he had reeled from the shock of having the most timid girl in the entire school practically rape his face Demetri must have concluded he liked it because they had been an item ever since. I guess no excursion is complete without a budding romance.

My plan of catching up on my sleeping on the plane had backfired when I had been exiled to the isle seat in the middle row. Uncomfortable as airplane seats usually were, this one trumped all of my previous experiences. Every time I had tried to get comfortable by stretching my legs a little some evil stewardess would come along and push her little cart over my toes. The fact that the annoying idiot in the seat behind me started to kick at the back of my seat every time I would lower it wasn't helping either.

Still, I was feeling hyped up and positively bouncy as we were waiting for our luggage to appear on the belt.

We said a quick goodbye to the students before collecting our bags, knowing that once they had their luggage they would be sprinting out of here towards the comfort of their comfortable Upper Eastside homes.

Then, when I finally retrieved my suitcase, there was only one more thing out get out of the way.

Making my way to Edward and Libby.

"Have you seen them yet?" Jasper panted, dragging both our suitcases behind him.

"Nope," I said a little disappointed as we entered the arrivals hall.

It was the last conscious thought I had before a blue and brown 'mommy'- yelling missile crashed into me at dazzling speed.

"I've missed you!" I cried into Libby's hair as I swayed to keep my balance.

"I've made you a welcome home cake," Libby breathed into my shoulder, hugging me a little closer.

"That's nice honey," I croaked through my tears.

"Welcome home love," the most beautiful voice in the world spoke as I felt his arms and scent envelope me.

Home.

"Ah, miss Swan. A word please." I wanted to rip our Aro's throat for disrupting this moment.

"Can't it wait?" I heard Edward growl. Perhaps he would do the honors.

"I thought you would be anxious to get home." I could tell by the tone of his voice that Aro was annoyed, though probably not half as annoyed as I was at that moment.

"What is it," I hissed, without letting go of Edward and Libby. I was beyond caring if I offended him.

"I would like to see the three of you," he indicated towards Alice and Jasper who were engaged in a gaze that felt too private to be watched by and outsider and Zafrina who was pushing her way through the throngs on her way out, "in my office before classes start on Monday."

We had figured as much. With Monday being only a half day – classes would not be starting until after lunch break – it would be the perfect opportunity for Aro to yell at us.

"Is that all?" I asked, impatient to return to my family.

"Yes," he replied curtly before shifting his attention to the Archibalds who were at that moment hugging their son as if he had been away for years in stead of days.

"I don't like that man mommy," Libby said, taking my hand.

"That makes three of us honey," I sighed as Jasper and Alice joined us.

"Five," Jasper added. "What did he want?"

"Just as you said," I explained. "He wants to see us Monday before class."

A lot of yelling had taken place on that night when the twins had been found. First Zafrina, Jasper and I – and even the good inspector Lynley – had yelled at the Volturi twins about their irresponsible behavior. As to be expected they bore our tirade with indifference.

After that Aro had arrived and the yelling had been directed at us. While the twins had been looking on with evil smirks on their faces Aro had lectured us about the importance of doing head counts and keeping a tight reign on students during an excursion. He then went on to express his disappointment about us before he had marched out of the hotel flanked by his evil offspring and gotten on plane back to New York.

Though I had been glad to see the back of them the fact that Alec and Jane had a whole three days to sweet talk Aro into believing they were innocent had me worried. It still did.

I could barely keep my eyes open through the ride home even though Alice did her best, rattling off thing she had arranged for the wedding all through our trip back. It was almost eerily silent in the car after we had dropped her and Jasper off at my old apartment. Libby had fallen asleep soon after we had reached the express way and Edward focused on his driving, his hand laced through mine as it lay on the gear shift.

I found it difficult to focus as we walked into our house, my attention solely focused on making it up the stairs in one piece.

"Why don't you go sleep for a little while?" Edward chuckled as he saw me looking longingly at our bed.

"Can't," I muttered. "I've been without the two of you for so long......and anyway, I have to cook...and unpack."

"I can take care of those things for you," he said, unbuttoning my blouse. "You just hop in bed for a few hours sleep and I will take care of Libby and the food. We'll leave the unpacking for the next time Alice gets here."

"But......" I really wanted to put up more of a fight. Really. I had my kid waiting down stair for me to tell her stories about London and the most wonderful man standing in front of me whom I wasn't ready to let go yet.

But......the bed was calling.

"Sleep my love," Edward smiled, kissing me softly. "We'll have time for everything else once you're rested."

I surrendered, letting Edward change me into my pajama's and place me under the covers, too tired to do anything myself.

When did I get so lucky to get the last decent man on the planet?

--

"Okay Bella, you can do this!" I muttered to myself as I knocked on the door to Aro's office.

"We're right behind you," I heard Jasper whisper.

Yeah, that's where they would be. Right behind me. Safe behind my back.

Coming back to work today after the bliss of spending the last two days pretty much in bed, cuddling up with Libby and Edward during the day and making love during the night had been a harsh reality check.

Still, you could only dodge responsibility for so long until it came back to bite you in the ass.

We had made plans for this on our flight back to New York, coming up with a water tight plan of attack based on the liking Aro seemed to have taken to me and my ability to stay calm.

That is.....most of the times.

I remembered how we had laughed about Jasper warlike tactics a few days ago. How right had he been?

It really was like walking into a battle.

"Come in," I heard Aro's voice call.

Cue Rocky tune.

"I can do this," I repeated to myself.

"Ah, I see that the three of you have recovered somewhat from your trip," Aro welcomed us. "Please take a seat! I'd be uncomfortable talking to you when you're standing."

I didn't let Aro's fake hospitality lure me into a safe sense of security. I'd been around him enough to know it was just tactics. He'd trap you into thinking you were safe and everybody was getting along nicely before launching his attack on you. That way he always ensured himself of having the element of surprise and always getting what he wanted.

"I hope you've all had some rest?" Aro's sickly sweet tone was starting to make me nauseous.

"Yes," Jasper answered curtly. "After all the upheaval we were glad to still have some days off before we had to start again."

"Well……..yes………" Aro seemed a little out of sorts after Jaspers referral to the 'upheaval'. You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know what he meant. "Now that you mention the……..upheaval. I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

He took some time to compose himself after that. Studying each of us closely while choosing his words.

"Of course I've had a good and long discussion with Alec and Jane about the….incident and after talking to them and some of the parents of other children partaking in the excursion I have concluded that it was all just a simple misunderstanding."

What the fuck?

I had expected Aro to scream bloody murder at us for misplacing his kids like he had done in London. I had expected him to fire us if we didn't grovel in front of his evil offspring. I had prepared to stand my ground. All three of us had done so.

But we had never expected this.

"A misunderstanding?" I finally managed to stammer.

"Yes," Aro made it look like it was the most obvious conclusion imaginable. "A misunderstanding."

"Could you explain that please?"

"It must not have escaped your notice that Alec and Jane were unhappy about your choice of accommodation." He paused, looking at us for confirmation.

"Yes?" Zafrina seemed almost reluctant to admit it. I had to agree with her. We were being trapped – I could see that – but was it only into admitting that this was all just some terrible case of miscommunication or was Aro on to something else?

"Well," Aro continued. "They chose to make other arrangements for themselves. They would have offered others to join them but they were afraid some of them would have some……trouble in finding the money to pay for a hotel room in the hotel they selected."

"Then why did they take off like that?" Jasper asked. Aro's explanation wasn't making any sense. Even he must have realized that it was just too flimsy and implausible to fool anyone.

"They meant to tell you but they forgot." Aro leaned backwards in his seat, feeling he had the upper hand. "They are very sorry for that and realize they have made a grave mistake in doing so."

"So you are trying to get us to believe that Alec and Jane did this just so they could sleep in a more comfortable bed?" I was beyond angry now. How dare he make light of this whole situation. Had he any idea of what we had gone through? How much valuable police resource had been wasted on his kids?

"There simply is no other explanation," Aro stated calmly.

I jumped out of my seat in anger. I could faintly hear Jasper hissing something behind me – no doubt a warning to stay calm – but the red sheen of anger that had been drawn over my eyes was to powerful to ignore.

"Then how do explain the fact that they checked into the Burlington under a false name?" I yelled. "And why didn't they call us? Or join the rest of the class the next morning to go to Hampton Court? After all…..you said they were just trying to ensure better accommodations for themselves."

"That's quite enough miss Swan," Aro barked.

"No it is not!" I continued my rant. "You expect us to accept this fabricated story just because it absolves you precious children of all blame but I refuse to take part in this charade. They did this for the same reason they are always trying to start trouble: for the hell of it. They know that – just as you are trying to do today – you will be there to bail them out if they get caught."

"I advise you to watch what you are saying," Aro warned, his voice low and menacing. I couldn't give a damn about it.

"They think themselves untouchable and to make matter worse: they are. How far do they have to go until they reach their limit? Murder?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Aro jumped out of his seat, fuming with rage as he looked at me. However he was quick to compose himself again.

"I seem to have made a terrible mistake,' he stated calmly. "I took a great risk in hiring you, Miss Swan, thinking that, in spite of your social position and lack of age and experience, you would prove a welcome addition to our team. I see now how mistaken I was in thinking you'd fit in and become more like us……."

Only a few months ago those words – practically the same words Lauren had so often used on me – would have stung me deeper than any knife could. They played perfectly into my old insecurities and fears.

Now I realized that they didn't harm me anymore. I knew I wasn't inferior to Aro, his family or any of the other teachers at this school anymore. In fact, as far as Aro and his nest of vipers was concerned, I even felt remarkable superior.

"If you are trying to imply that when you hired me I was some sad charity case you are even more mistaken than you claim to be." I was amazed at the tone of my voice. It was calm. Composed. Civil. "I never have been and never will be a pitiable little single mom in need of rescuing."

I glared at him before I continued. "As far as my behavior is concerned. I agree that I may have been a little…outspoken before but I would challenge everyone in this room not to be after he or she would have gone through what I went through having to report students that were placed in my care missing to the police."

"So you take responsibility for this?" He looked rather smug, thinking he had me right where he wanted me.

"No," I replied. "The only ones responsible for all of this are Alec and Jane and I for one refuse to take part in a blatant lie designed to save them."

"You have no the choice," he interrupted me. "Either you accept this version of events or you resign."

"Then consider my resignation tendered,' I spat back, rising to get the hell out of this office. "Effective immediately."

"You might want to rethink this," Aero threatened. "You may find it very……..difficult to find other employment in this city."

"Do you really think I give a rats ass about you threats?" I laughed. "I despise you and our tactics and frankly……I wouldn't want to find employment with anyone who would be susceptible to your lies." With that I turned on my heals and marched out of the room.

The shock came later, when I was driving home again.

What the hell had I done?

What had come over me?

I had just walked away from a job that had been my source of income for the last few years. My first job. The first time I had been able to truly take care of myself.

It wasn't just that, there were also the pupils. I had known and taught some of them for as long as I worked there. How could I have just abandoned them?

What would I do now?

Aro had made it pretty clear to me I didn't have to expect him to give me a recommendation. If anything he would try to hinder me in my search for new employment. How did I fight him? Could he make his threat a reality?

"How did it go love?" I could faintly hear Edward say as I shut the front door behind me.

"Not good," I croaked.

"What happened?" There was so much worry in his voice. I wanted to look at him. I wanted to be comforted by him. To Explain. To be told everything would be alright.

But I couldn't. It was like I wasn't in control of my body anymore.

"Where is Jasper?" Alice voice sounded.

Oh.

Jasper. Zafrina.

They had been in there with me but after the red haze had been drawn over my eyes I hadn't been conscious of their presence.

How could I have just left them there at the mercy of that man?

What would they do? How would they react?

"Bella honey, please talk to me," I could hear Edwards voice say as he eased me down onto the couch with him, cradling me in his arms as if I was a child. "You're starting to frighten me."

"Why is mommy acting funny?" Libby seemed as puzzled as the rest of them.

"It looks like she's in shock."

"Should I slap her? I heard it helps." I braced for impact after Alice's words, almost welcoming the sting of her attack. Perhaps it could get me out of this catatonic state.

"Don't you dare!" Edwards chest rumbled as he growled. "I mean it. Back off Alice."

"Mommy?"

"Bella my love, please talk to me," Edward pleaded. "What did Aro do?"

"I quit," I managed to whispered. I didn't think anyone could hear me, my voice was hardly producing any sound at the moment.

"What?" All three voices asked at once.

"I quit," I repeated, a little bit more firm. "Aro wanted me to lie about what happened and I quit."

"What happened?" Alice asked. "Did Jasper quit as well?"

"I don't know," I sighed. "It's just…..something inside me snapped after Aro tried to make us agree to his version of the story. I just…….ranted. I kind of stormed out after I was done. I'm sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry about?" Edward asked.

"I just…..I shouldn't have left Jasper and Zafrina behind and I shouldn't have just resigned like that. It's just that I was so angry………." I wasn't able to hold back my sobs anymore.

"You did the right thing love," Edward soothed. "You stood your ground against Aro. I'm proud of you."

"But I left them….."

"It's okay love," he said, kissing my hair. "I'm sure they'll be fine."

"Jasper's a big boy," Alice grinned. "He can take care of himself."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself again. "I'm sorry," I sniffed.

"Will you stop apologizing?" Edward chuckled. "Save it for when you have something to be sorry about."

"I can't believe I actually did it." I shook my head, still unable to believe that it did really happen. That I did really quit my job. "I think I'm just going to pop upstairs to wash my face real quick," I said, standing up again.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Edward asked. He was still worried about me. I couldn't blame him. I would be just as worried if he came home shell-shocked.

"Do you mind if I go alone?" I asked, "I just need some time to think. You know, get my head around all of this."

"Sure love," he said, trying to look less worried than he was. "If you need anything just call."

"Thanks," I replied before making my way up the stairs.

Now that I had gotten past the drama-aspect of what happened I actually felt relieved.

Lighter.

As good as my years at the school had been, they had also been filled with tension. There had always been the inescapable Volturi's and the threat they posed to the rest of the school population. And of course their insufferable father.

I had never really felt like I belonged there. It had never been what I truly wanted out of life.

Sure, I loved teaching and I couldn't see myself in any other profession. But did I love teaching at that particular school?

No.

I loved my colleagues – well, Jasper and Zafrina – and I loved the certainty of a steady job, but somehow the walls of the school had always made my chest feel constricted. The pupils – though mostly kind and pretty smart – where so far out of my comfort zone it made me feel uneasy and as for working under Aro........

"There must be something wrong with me," I muttered as I splashed some cold water in my face. Old familiar Bella Swan, the one I've grown accustomed to for over a quarter of a decade would never do this?

I looked up in the mirror. Who was this strange girl staring back at me?

She had the same dull brown eyes and pale white face as the old Bella but there was something different.

The dull eyes had a newfound fierceness to them.

The big fishy lips were pursed in determination.

She had just used the words 'rat' and 'ass' in the same sentence while speaking to her superior.

The old Bella would never have done that.

The old Bella would have bowed her head, accepted the scolding and gone home to cry.

I liked this new determined Bella.

It was Edwards Bella.

The woman who could do everything if only she put her mind to it.

The reflection smiled, though the smile turned into a frown as other thoughts entered it's brain.

It was also the reflection of unemployed Bella.

--

EPOV

--

I was so proud of my girl. She had refused to take shit from her boss and stood up for her own principles.

When Jasper had come in shortly after Bella had gone upstairs and told us what had happened I was almost glowing with pride.

Pride and worry.

My Bella had been walking around the house in a state of shock ever since she had come back and really, who could blame her? She had given up a job that had been a center point in her life for the last few years.

A job that her favorite professor had arranged for her.

A job that had been the outcome, the crown of all her hard work.

I felt so powerless to help her. The only thing I could do for her was just to be there for her, keep her safe and warm while she made new plans for her life.

She had told me all about Aro's threat. How he had told her in no uncertain words he would twart any attempt at finding employment at another respectable school in the city.

It made me want to strangle Aro with his own intestines even more. How dare he threaten my angel when all she did was call him out on his favoritism of his own children?

I knew how important work was to Bella. It was the same thing with me. I didn't have to work, I had more than enough money to provide quite well for the three of us and any more children we might have. Still, it felt wrong to just live on money I never earned myself. The only reason I had it was because of the family I had been born into.

We just loved our jobs.

I had seen Bella's face when she was teaching. She glowed, completely wrapped up in her story, as she told her pupils all about the deeper meanings behind Jane Austens works. It was probably the same facial expression I showed when I got to scrub in on a complicated heart surgery.

And now all of that had been taken from her.

I vowed there and then to not rest until I had made it right again, even if that meant opening my own school. Hell, I had the money anyway. Why not do it?

"Daddy!" Libby danced into the study, "phone's ringing!"

I must have been so wrapped up in my own musings I didn't even hear it and, judging by the sounds of frantic cooking and baking, Bella was still too wrapped up in her latest distraction tactic as well.

It was professor Bell, Bella's favorite professor from university. Bella had told me how they got together a couple of times a year to discuss the things that happened in their life and the poor state of the educational system. It had been this man who had helped her get her job at Aro's school after she had graduated.

"Has Bella returned from her trip to London yet?" he asked. The professor had called about a week ago, right after Bella had left.

"Yes, she's here," I acknowledged, walking into the kitchen. Perhaps professor Bell would be able to help her again, even if it was just to set her mind at rest.

I continued reading up on the latest developments in small bowel resections while Bella talked and Libby played with her toys in the living room.

"What did he want?" I asked as she walked back into the study.

"Just to see me," she shrugged. I could see the tenseness was still there. "He asked me to stop by tomorrow morning. You're not working then, are you?"

"Nope,"I smiled, "My shift doesn't start until three."

"I should be back by then," she sighed.

"Come here," I demanded, pulling her into my lap. "I hate to see you this unhappy."

"I'm sorry," she whispered and I could hear her tears weren't far off.

"That's not how I meant it," I explained. "I hate seeing you unhappy and being powerless to do anything about it. Please, tell me there's anything I can do."

"I wish there was," she sighed. "But you're already doing so much for me as it is....I just need some time to get my bearings back."

"I know." I buried my head in her hair, breathing her in. "When are Jasper and Alice getting here?"

Bella had invited the two of them over for dinner tonight. Part of that was because she had been cooking like a maniac to keep herself from as she put it 'brooding too much about things that could not be changed' and now she needed people to come and eat the huge amount of food she had cooked but another important part was to let Jasper know that she didn't resent him for hanging on to his job.

Poor Jasper had felt incredibly guilty for bowing down to Aro in the end – even though the thought that he was doing it made him physically ill – because he needed his job, his income. He felt like he had betrayed Bella by doing so .

It had been Jasper who had told us what had happened in Aro's office while Bella was still panicking upstairs. Even though I had known she needed some time alone to get her head together, leaving Bella alone was some of the hardest thing I had to do in my life.

The part of me that wanted to protect her from all possible harm was screaming at me to run upstairs and hold my Bella as the part that was still susceptible to Bella's wishes tried to listen to Jaspers words.

Sure, Bella had had a tendency to draw away emotionally, to prevent her pain from seeping out onto others, but this wasn't it.

This wasn't her hiding.

This was her confused.

Scared.

Lost.

If only I knew what to do.

--

"Hey Bella," Jasper asked tentatively as he shuffled into the room. "How are you doing."

"I'm fine," Bella said, enveloping him in a hug. She was making an effort to make her tone light. "Are you?"

"The place seems empty without you," he sighed, making Bella chuckle.

"Don't get all dramatic on me," she laughed, rolling her eyes at him as she placed a basket of bread on the table. "At least you don't have to deal with the little pieces of shit thinking we are having a steamy affair on top of your desk."

I had found out that referring to her former pupils as little pieces of shit was just another coping mechanism. A way to distance herself from the place. If she only remembered the more negative aspects of her time there she wouldn't feel so bad about just leaving without saying goodbye. Without closure.

"You've got a point there," Jasper replied, making an effort to smile. "I am sorry though?"

"For keeping your job?" Bella huffed. "Don't be. I never expected anyone to follow me in my dramatic exit so don't be sorry about the fact that you kept a clear head and your job."

"You really mean that don't you?" Jasper cried unbelievingly.

"Of course I do!" Bella chuckled. "I swear, your skull is getting as thick as Emmett's!"

"See," Alice soothed, rubbing his back. "I told you she wasn't angry."

"I's nice to know you're afraid of me. I wonder how I might use that for further reverence....." Bella chuckled.

"Oh shut up," Jasper growled, but the relief was still very audible in his voice.

The rest of the meal passed in a much more relaxed fashion. Libby claimed most of our attention with her relay of the field trip to the zoo her kindergarten-class had taken today.

"They didn't even know what the animals were called!" Libby huffed in disdain at the teaching assistant that had lead them around. "He was soooooooo stupid!" Libby's kindergarten teacher had recently taken on an intern who had caused quite the commotion at the school because he wasn't the brightest fish in the pond. Libby had immediately taken a dislike to him after she had called him on his bluff the first time she had asked him a question.

To Libby it was one thing to not know the answer to one of her many questions, but it was simply unforgivable to try and bluff your way out of it. Of course, her good opinion once lost was lost forever.

"It's not very nice to say that!" Bella scolded, hardly able to keep back her smiles.

"But he is!" Libby yelled in an offended tone. "He didn't even know giraffes were cannibals! He told us to be careful because they might eat us!"

"Did you mean carnivores?" Bella hiccuped, hiding her mouth behind her napkin to hide her amusement.

"He's stupid," Libby growled, glaring at her mom. "Giraffes don't eat meat."

"You're quite right honey," Bella admitted, trying to save herself out of this situation.

--

"Was Jasper really that afraid to come over tonight?" I asked as Jasper and Bella cleared the table after dinner.

Alice nodded. "And not just because he was beating himself up about hanging on to his job."

"What else?" I wondered.

"He envies Bella,"Alice whispered. "Quite a lot," she added as she took in my stunned expression.

"Why?" I couldn't for the life of me how Jasper could envy the existential crisis Bella seemed to have landed herself in.

Alice shrugged. "I think he just wished he had the courage to do what she did."

"But it's different for him," I interjected.

"How so?" Alice snapped, no doubt guessing where this was going.

"He needs the money......" I knew I was heading for the danger zone.

"And Bella does not?" Alice glowered. "Tell me Edward, because I fail to see what's different between Bella and Jasper's situation."

"It's just different for a guy....." I defended myself. I knew there was no way I could make her see that a guy would never allow himself to be kept by a woman. At least....not if he could help it.

"Male chauvinist pig," Alice huffed.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but I have to agree with the pixie here," I heard my sexy fiancé say.

I turned to see her smirking at me. "If you for one moment believe that I feel comfortable being a 'kept woman' then you don't know me very well."

"I know love," I said, pleading with her to understand. "But it's just a psychological thing."

"Then all men are just screwed up," Bella huffed, sitting next to Alice on the sofa. They looked like a pair of angry kittens. Cute as fuck but dangerous as hell.

--

BPOV

--

"Come in Bella dear," professor Bell called.

Stepping into his office was like stepping into a time warp. Years might have passed and things might have changed but they didn´t seem to have had an effect on Stefan Bell. His office was still exactly the same as it had been when I was still a student here and I didn´t think that it had ever changed much in the twenty or so years that professor Bell had taught here.

There was still the desk, almost completely hidden behind stacks and stacks of papers. The walls that were covered with bookshelves containing almost every noteworthy book ever to have been written in the English language. The floor, covered in a worn but still beautiful Persian rug and the set of comfortable chairs standing in a corner of the office, surrounded by more stacks of paper.

"How are you," Stefans warm voice greeted me.

"I'm fine," I sighed, sitting down in the chair opposite from him.

"I heard you finally gave Aro a piece of your mind?" he grinned.

"Yes….well…." I blushed.

"Don't worry dear," he said, lightly patting my hand. "You'll find that at these offices that is a good thing."

"What?"

"In fact," his eyes glistened with delight as he continued. "You are seen as somewhat of a hero by most of the teaching staff of this institution."

"But……"

"How could I ever recommend you to Aro if I thought he was a pompous self-righteous ass?"

I nodded. It wasn't the choice of words I would have used but it boiled down to the same thing.

"Well…." He lifted his glasses from his nose, chewing on one of it's legs. "Pompous ass or not, he does run one of the most prestigious schools in the city and of course I wanted nothing but the best for my star pupil. Even if that meant striking a deal with the devil himself."

I blushed again, hiding my red face behind my head. Luckily Margery, his secretary, came in with tea, giving me a moment to recuperate.

"So how has life been treating you?" the professor asked after Margery had left. "I understood from my phone calls to your house that you've met a man?"

"Yes," I smiled, thinking about Edward and everything he had done for me over the last few days. "Although it would be better to say that I found the man of my dreams again."

I explained to him how Edward and I had met again and everything that happened after that.

"That's quite remarkable my dear," professor Bell mused. "You know you could write a bestselling novel about that."

"I don't think I'm a good enough writer to produce a bestseller," I chuckled. "What matters is that we are together again and that there is no force on earth that could drive us apart now."

"Yes," he smiled. "I can see that it has done you a world of good. As the great poet said: all you need is love."

"Did you run out of Shakespeare quotes?" I laughed, remembering how professor Bell used to have a Shakespearian saying for every occasion.

"One has to keep up with the times," he laughed.

"I see," I grinned, looking at the computer that was still hidden in a far corner of the room, covered in layers of dust.

"Well, at least I've moved on from using a quill pen!"

We talked some more about the past, our families and the deplorable state of the educational system as we drank our tea.

"Well my dear," professor Bell said in a suddenly versy serious tone. "As much as I enjoy sipping tea and exchanging the latest gossip with you……that's not why I asked you to come."

"It's not?" I couldn't remember us ever having done something else during my visits to him.

"No, I'm actual on official university business right now," he stated, trying to assume an air of command.

"Oh?"

The door to the office opened and a man came in. I recognized his long, eerily slim frame as that of Vladimir Tepeş, the head of the faculty. His story read like a fairy tale, though for a while I hadn't been entirely sure if he was the hero or the villain. His parents had fled the communist regime in Romania when he had still been a child and even though he had grown up in the States he still had a very mysterious, eastern European aura around him. It was almost as if he had stepped straight out of some old folk tale about vampires.

"For God's sake Stefan," he chuckled in a slight Romanian accent. "You still haven't asked her? What have you been doing all this time."

"Well………I………," professor Bell stammered.

I chuckled. The two of them had always been a very odd pair. They had been working side by side at this university for as long as anyone could remember and had become something of the Waldorf and Statler of the faculty, protecting the level of education from all harmful modern influences.

I had been a little bit intimidated by professor Tepeş at first. His demeanor had something of a villain about it, his name and descend doing nothing to help him in that respect.

I soon found out that he was as harmless as professor Bell was, though he was the more focused and determined of the two. That was probably why he had become in charge of the faculty when that position had become vacant. If it would have been professor Bell that became the new head of the faculty the whole place would have been a mess after a week.

"Just pull yourself together and ask her," professor Tepeş urged. "You wanted to do the honors so stop pussyfooting about and do it!"

"Well Bella," professor Bell started again, clearing his throat. "We have something to discuss with you...........a business proposition of sorts that............"

"A faculty position has opened up in our department and we would like you to take it," professor Tepes interrupted, rolling his eyes.

"What?" I was too stunned to form a coherent answer which, considering they had just offered me a position at an Ivy-league college, may not have been the smartest move.

"We want you to take a job with us," professor Bell explained, glowing with the realization that he had finally managed to say the words.

"Will you?" professor Tepeş urged.

* * *

_**So....will she?**_

_**Finally Edward and Bella are reunited again and if I did my job right this chapter will show some of the progress Bella has made after she was reunited with Edward. **_

_******Xparawhorextwerdx has made a thread for this story over at the twilighted(dot)net forums (again, thank you so much for doing that!) so if you have any questions about this story, my other story (which I will be starting a thread for soon), want to read sneak peaks into upcoming chapters or just chat please join me there. **_

_******The next chapter will be called 'old beefs and new beginnings' (unless I can come up with a better title than that) and will feature an actual fistfight. Any guesses on who will be punching who in the face?**_

_******Please review. It makes me happy and feel inspired. **_


	38. Old beefs and new beginnings

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Old beefs and new beginnings.**

"So how's the job going?" Rose asked, keeping a close watch on Libby who was slowly rocking Charlie back and forth on one of the swings.

"It's going great actually!" Starting this new job had been like a whirlwind. There was so much I had to learn and I had to learn it fast.

I may have been an experienced high school teacher but that held little significance when you made the transition to teaching a class of college freshmen.

Sure, students were students. They were mostly lazy and eager to find a loophole to get out of working too hard, but that's where comparisons ended.

My new students were smarter and more mature than my old ones which demanded a very different approach and extensive preparations before each class. Luckily I had had the full support of both Stefan Bell and Vladimir Tepes.

The only thing they had insisted on before hiring me was that they would be the ones who got to tell Aro. Something I had been all to happy to oblige them with. They had seemed almost giddy at the prospect and I don't think they had been disappointed when they finally got round to it. They had told me afterwards that Aro had reacted in the way that was to be expected of him: furious.

Jasper and Zafrina had told me later on that Aro had been in the foulest of moods all day. Zafrina even claimed she had heard him yelling at Stefan and Vladimir through the walls that separated his office from her classroom.

I would have loved to have seen that!

"Well......explain," Rose motioned, grinning at me. I realized I had once again been lost in my thought.

"It's just so different....so nice," I started, unsure of how to explain the feeling of finally having the full support of your superiors. "I feel like everybody just accepts me over there, not just out of charity."

Rose nodded. "I know how you feel. When I first started working as a model I was 'the girl that got raped' and everybody acted like I was made out of fucking glass or something. It took years for some of the people I worked with to come round and treat me like a normal person."

"Yes....well....it was a little bit easier for me." I could only imagine how hard it must have been for Rose to start out in the modeling industry after what happened. After all, being model meant being stared at and pawed by men.

"Still, I had the idea Aro was treating you more as some kind of rarity in a freak show than as Bella Swan, normal person."

"You're right about that!" I admitted. Sure, there were aspects of the school I missed. I missed Jasper and Zafrina, even though I saw them at least once a week. I missed some of my students – especially Demetri and his dry remarks – and I missed the comfort of being totally comfortable at the place you work.

I sure as hell didn't miss Aro. Or his evil spawn.

The first days at my new work had been daunting. There were so many new things to learn and new people to meet my head had been spinning 24/7. I knew some of the people and could find my way around the building, but that was about it.

When the time had come for me to teach my first class I had been so nervous I had spent the greater part of the hour I had designated for preparing myself meticulously for the class to come on the toilet throwing up. I had appeared in front of my students green and ill prepared and still they had accepted me.

They had even called me professor Swan.

I think I grew a few inches taller when they did that.

Stefan and Vladimir had been nothing if not ambitious in their plans for me. They had been almost ashamed when they offered me this job, since – as they put it – I would be nothing more than a glorified teaching assistant. I would teach some freshman courses and hold office hours but that was about it.

Their ambitions, however had gone much further and had included future tenures and I had even heard Stefan utter the term 'doctorate'. They wanted me to become a real professor even though I doubted I had the skills to ever make it there. I was in way over my head as it was.

"So you're enjoying yourself over there?" Rose asked cautiously.

"Very much," I smiled. "Though I'm glad it's summer now and I have a few weeks off to get my head around it all and prepare for next years classes."

"And get married," Rose chuckled.

"Yes, especially get married!" I laughed with her. That one was actually at the top of my list now.

The date that Alice had set for us had crept closer slowly but surely and Alice and Rosalie had decided we should meet this morning to discuss the last few details before we would be leaving for Chicago next week.

There really had been no stopping Alice once she had 'envisioned' the perfect date for Edward and I to get married. She had simply argued that she had never been wrong in these kind of things and that august 13th would be the perfect day for a wedding even though Edward and I had really wanted to get married as soon as possible.

"Ladies!" The little pixie yelled, walking into the playground, holding a big paper bag with the Starbucks logo printed on it. "I brought provisions!" At least you could always count on the pixie to keep you well fed while she tortured you.

Libby came back, holding Charlie in her little arms. Whenever it came to taking care of her little cousin there was no joking about for her. Even from the first time she got to hold him she had made sure he was well protected and well cared for.

Even now as she was walking back to us she was holding him with a look that held both her determination to do this right and the fact that she was simply loving spending time with him.

It made me wonder how it would be if Edward and I had more kids. I had been anxious about that at first. What if she would be jealous? It had been the two of us for five years, then Edward had come into our lives and two had become three. What if three became four? Or five? Or Six?

Would she be willing to share? She had asked us many times for a baby brother or sister but what would it be like when the moment arrived?

Seeing her now with Charlie made me realized that all my worries had been in vain. Of course. It would take some time getting used to it, but I was sure Libby would be an amazing big sister.

"So," Alice started after we had finished our drinks. "What kind of lingerie were you planning on wearing during your wedding night?"

It was a good thing she had waited to ask this question after we had finished our coffees or she would have been rushing me to the Emegrengy Room right now.

"Alice!" I hissed. "We're in a freaking playground!" I looked around me to see if any of the other mothers were listening in on our conversation.

"So?" Alice shrugged. "It's not like we're discussing what the two of you will be doing during that night. We're merely discussing what you're going to be wearing."

"Alice!" I hissed.

"Come on Bella! It's just panties!" Rose added. "Ninety percent of the people in this playground are wearing them. Why not discuss them?"

I must have turned a vibrant red because a few of the children in the sandbox were looking at me in wonder. Libby – who had retreated to the sandbox after she had finished her juice and helped Rose put Charlie in his stroller – looked up once, concluded that nothing out of the ordinary was going on and continued building her sandcastle.

"So what is it going to be?"

"I didn't really think about that stuff yet...." I muttered. Truth was that I had thought about it and that I had even walked passed Agent Provocateur a few times but had never actually dared to venture inside.

For one because one of my new students worked there and secondly because I was afraid my head was going to explode even from looking at some of the things.

"Bella!" Rose scolded. I cringed, almost thinking she was going to slap me. "So you were really just going to jump out stark naked in front of Edward on your wedding night?"

"Why not?" I interjected, rather liking her suggestion. "It's not like I won't be ending up like that anyway."

"Bella," Alice groaned. "The nice thing about getting presents is the part where you unwrap them. You get all excited, trying to guess what's inside and stuff. It's not half as fun when you just shove the product in someone's face."

"I hate to disappoint you Alice," I chuckled. "But Edward's already seen inside."

"That doesn't mean you can't wrap up nicely anyway," Rose argued.

"It's a good thing I came prepared," Alice said, rolling her eyes at me. "The good thing about dealing with prudes is that they are totally reliable." She pushed a bag into my hand containing minimal amounts of midnight blue lace.

I was just getting to the part where I thanked her profusely for services rendered when the whole playground suddenly broke out in a state of uproar.

A mass of girls ran screaming and squealing towards the gates that secluded the playground from the rest of the park and started climbing the fences. Much to my horror one of them was Libby.

"What the hell is going on?" I growled, speeding over to the gate.

The girls – strangly enough they were all females, the boys had gone on playing like nothing special had happened – were all flushed with excitement and giggling like lunatics.

"Libby! Get back here immediately!" I yelled as soon as I was in hearing distance.

As soon as Libby heard me she leaped down from the fence and ran over to me.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked my flustered daughter.

"We were playing over there," she panted, pointing at the now nearly empty sandbox, "and suddenly Harry Potter walked by." She spoke the name almost reverently and I had to stifle a smile. Her eyes huge as she spoke the name.

"Honey, Harry Potter is a character from a book. He doesn't really exist."

"I know that mom!" Libby replied, rolling her eyes at my ignorance. "But the _actor_ who plays Harry Potter _does_."

"So you're saying the actor who plays Harry Potter just walked into a playground? Why on earth would he do that, sweetie?" I sure hoped this kid wasn't some kind of sick pervert who got a rise out of watching kids playing in the sand.

Libby went on to explain to me that the actor had merely walked past the playground but had been spotted by some of the other kids. They all decided to run after him to get his autograph.

As soon as she was done explaining Libby tried to get back to her new friends who had now successfully scaled the fence and where stalking after the poor unsuspecting celebrity.

"Darcy Elizabeth Swan! There is no way you are going to run off after some actor to harass him in the streets!" I berated my daughter. "Not to mention the fact that it's dangerous to just go climbing fences. You might fall down and break something and you've seen mommy. You know how much that hurts!"

I seriously don't know what had gotten into her. She was too young to have even read the books or seen the movies, it must have been that the excitement of the older girls had brushed off on her.

"But mommy!" my daughter pleaded, "I've never seen someone famous before. Why can't I go after him?"

"For one because the poor guy doesn't deserve to be pounced on by a herd of screaming fan girls everywhere he goes and second because I'm not letting you run around in Central Park all by yourself. Now you can either go back to the sandbox and play or we are going home."

"Fine!" she huffed and turned her attention back to the sandcastle she was building.

"What is going on?" Alice and Rose asked as soon as I returned.

"Apparently some actor from the Harry Potter movies just walked by," I shrugged.

"You mean Daniel Radcliffe?" Alice's eyes rivaled Libby in size and she looked like she was going to leap off her bench and sprint after the little girls any minute.

"Aren't you a little old for him?" I grinned.

"Of course," she huffed indignantly. "It's not like I'm some pervert or a creepy stalker or something. I'm just a really big fan of the movies. And the books."

"That's strange...." While I scanned the playground to see if Libby was still there something else had drawn my attention. Or rather......someone else.

"What is?" Rose asked.

"It can't be. She lives in Connecticut," I muttered to myself.

"Who?" Rose asked, a little more persistently.

I shook my head. "I just thought I saw someone I knew from a few years back but it can't be. And anyway she's gone now."

"WHO DID YOU SEE BELLA!" Rose yelled in my ear.

"It's just silly," I said shaking my head. There was no way it would really be her. At least....I hoped not. "I thought I saw Lauren Mallory."

"You mean evil bitch Lauren Mallory?" Rose and Alice shrieked in unison.

"It can't have been her," I said.

"You should go after her," Alice stated, tightening her eyes to slits. "Just to make sure. And if it is really her you should tell her what a total bitch she has been and preferably punch her in the face. This may be your only chance."

"There's no way I'm going to run after some woman in the odd chance she may be the person that ruined my life!" I yelled back.

"We'll all go," Rose stated, rising from her seat, pulling me up with her and striding towards the exit with me and the stroller lagging behind her, Alice and Libby hot on our heals.

"Wait a minute....."I tried. "I don't even know what I'm going to tell her if it's really her. Do you really think we should do this now?"

"There is no time like the present," Rose growled, increasing her pace. "Which way?" she barked as we neared a fork in the road.

"Left," I panted. I could just about spot the white coat of the woman I had seen before as she rounded a corner. "It's the woman in the white coat."

There really was no arguing with Rose when she was determined like this. Apart from that, I was kind of looking forward to the confrontation. I had been wondering what would happen if Lauren and I ever came face to face again, practicing my speech in my head. I just never thought I would have a chance to deliver it. Lauren's family lived in Connecticut and since Lauren loved the fame of being a Mallory I had never imagined she would leave the state.

When we rounded another corner we found her speaking to a woman I had seen with her earlier. It must be some friend of hers, if Lauren was ever able to actually have friends.

"Go speak to her," Rose said, pushing me in the right direction.

"Bella wait!" Alice yelled, running up towards me. She quickly straitened out my hair, pinched my cheeks, brushed her hands over my clothes and gave me some time to catch my breath. "Now you're ready," she said. "Go Bella!"

My heart was pounding in my throat as I walked up Lauren, who was just saying goodbye to her friend. There was no mistaking her now. I would remember that face everywhere. Huge blue eyes, blond hair and a malicious little smirk.

"Lauren?" I asked, acting like I only spotted her just now.

She turned at the sound of her name, her eyes glancing over my body. "Bella Swan," she finally acknowledged. The smugness in her voice meant to remind me of how inferior I was.

Bite me bitch!

"Fancy seeing you here!" she squealed with fake enthusiasm. "I never took you for a Manhattan kind of girl." The real meaning behind her words was that she thought I was too poor to be able to afford living in Manhattan. "Didn't you drop out of college when you found out you were pregnant?"

"I never dropped out," I stated, trying desperately to add as much fake charm to my words as she had, if only in an effort to control the murderous rage I felt. "I took a year off to give birth and continued after that. I actually graduated with honors." That sure was something the dumb bimbo would never be able to say.

"How good of you!" The way she enlarged her eyes told me academic achievement meant very little to her. Probably because her dad would be able to buy her everything she wanted anyway. "And the baby's father. Did you ever hear from him?"

She must have been so sure of herself. So sure she had driven Edward and me apart forever. This was going to be her big moment. The moment in which I would fall to pieces. She had seen me during those horrible horrible weeks. There was no mistake this was meant to be the death blow.

I felt elated. Almost giddy.

""Actually I did!" I said, my voice much more chipper than before. "We are getting married next week." I stuck out my hand, showing her the diamond engagement ring.

The evil bitch needed a few moments to recover from the shock.

"I don't believe you," she finally stated, her eyes tightening into tiny slits. "There's no way a guy like him would ever ask a lowlife little skank like you to marry him."

Well, the gloves were definitely off.

"You may be amazed how attractive honesty and sincerity is to men," I sneered back. "But then again you may never discover that since you'll always be too shallow to look past outward appearances. You wouldn't know love if it came up and bit you in the ass."

"Just wait until dear Edward leaves your sorry ass for someone more deserving of his affections," Lauren spat. "It's just a matter of time really."

Those statements would have made me flinch before but after everything that happened in the last few months I found that it didn't matter anymore. I trusted Edward. I trusted the love we had. I knew he would never leave me and certainly not for someone as vile as Lauren Mallory.

"There is nothing men like Edward find more unattractive than vile money obsessed creatures like you," I stated as calmly as I could. "You'll never be able to come between us. You never have."

"You'll find out soon enough," she smirked. "You and that filthy little bastard of yours."

I reacted without thinking, without hesitating. I just drew my hand back and punched her in the face as hard as I could. Not caring about where I hit the vile bitch or which bones I broke, though I silently hoped there were many.

"You bitch!" she shrieked, holding her nose.

"Don't. Ever. Talk. Shit. About. My. Kid," I hissed at her. I really wanted to hit her again, it had felt so good to finally do it. To finally get all my anger out there. I wanted to do it again.

"I'm going to sue the shit out of you, you little trailer park whore!" Lauren yelled, blood spilling in between her hands.

I looked away, not wanting to be affected by the blood. Fainting would really ruin the moment.

The first thing I saw Lauren was spinning on her feet like a basketball as Rose towering over her in all her 5'9" of passive – though not so right now – aggressiveness.

"No one calls my girl a whore!" she yelled. "Do it again and I break both your legs!"

"While I claw out your pretty little blue eyes!" Alice added, standing next to Rose with her hand on her hip. They were rocking the 'tough chick Charlie's Angels pose' to the max.

Unfortunately for me – I really wanted to hit the bitch again, or at least yell at her some more – Lauren chose to retreat, obviously not liking the odds.

"And a happy day to you too!" Alice yelled after her.

Now that the bitch had left and I had come down again from my adrenaline kick I was painfully reminded of why fighting was not a good idea.

"Ouch!" I yelled, shaking my hand in front of me. It felt like a truck had run over it.

"Sore?" Rose grinned, clutching her hand in a similar fashion.

"Happy, but……Ouch!"

"Mommy, did you punch that scary lady in the face?" Libby asked, running over to me.

"Sorry sweetheart," I apologized. I hoped my actions did't scare her, or cause her to have nightmares.

"You looked really cool," she said, her eyes huge with awe and sincerity.

"You know that violence is always bad, do you honey?" I tried desperately to be a responsible parent, trying to fight the huge shit eating grin that was dying to creep onto my face.

"Yeah, but sometimes it feels pretty damn good," Rose chuckled.

"Remind me never to pick a fight with you," I grinned back.

"You already did, remember?" she said, slapping me lightly on the back.

"But you didn't fight back that time." I was still clutching my hand. It hurt like hell and it was starting to swell.

"Do you want me to kiss and make it better?" Libby offered.

"Sure honey." I doubted it was going to help, but at least it wouldn't make it hurt more.

"You better not have broken you hand," Alice growled, inspecting the damage. "I'll kill you if you have to wear a cast with your wedding dress next week."

Damn! Why didn't I think of that?

"Come on," she continued. "I'm having Edward take a look at it."

Before I could protest she had dragged Rose, Libby and me out of the park and over to her Porsche which was sparked somewhere nearby. Somehow the four of us managed to pile into the swanky automobile and managed to hold on for dear life as she sped through the city, meanwhile phoning the hospital to notify Edward of our arrival.

"Back so soon?" Garrett grinned as he met us at the entrance.

"Don't start," I growled. The pain had changed from a fierce stabbing pain to a dull aching throb. I knew that kind of pain. It could go on for ages.

"Someone's a bit cranky!" Garrett teased.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Alice chuckled. "She's got a mean left hook!"

"You're saying she didn't bump into something this time?" Garrett asked incredulously.

"Nope, unless you count the face of an evil backstabbing bitch as 'something'," Alice grinned.

"Way to go Bella!" Garrett praised. "I didn't think you had it in you!" He wanted to hi five me but thought better of it on the last moment. "Erm….well, let's go find you a doctor."

Rose raised an eyebrow, letting her eyes travel over Garrett's lab coat.

"Believe me, if I start examining Bella right now half the ER will throw a complete hissy fit," Garrett explained, rolling his eyes.

I remembered the last time that happened. Kate had checked me up after my fall a few months ago. Later on Edward had explained that event had turned into a Shakespearean drama in five acts when the ER-staff had complained to the Chief of Surgery about arrogant cowboy residents overstepping their boundaries and stuff. The whole thing had only just about calmed down and I could understand why Garrett didn't want to stir it all up again.

"Garrett!" Libby cheered, spotting him as soon as she was done talking to the nice lady at the reception.

"Why miss Elizabeth! What a pleasure to see you here on this fine afternoon," Garrett crooned in his best Rhett Butler imitation.

"Showoff," Kate smirked, coming up behind him. It was funny how much their relationship resembled that of Rose and Emmett. They were obviously very much in love with each other but showed it mostly by making snide remarks.

"You know me,' Garrett replied, bowing down to kiss her hand. "I'm anything if not courteous."

"Courteous my ass," Kate growled. "You just want to make another trip to the on call room."

"If my chivalry is not appreciated I might take it elsewhere." Garrett knew of no defeat, turning back to Libby. "Lovely lady, if you and your party would follow me into one of our finest sickly green curtain area's? I'll go find the most competent doctor in the house to check out your darling mother's hand."

"I swear I'd dump his sorry ass tomorrow if he weren't so talented 'elsewhere'," I heard Kate whisper to Rose behind me.

"Sadly I know just how you feel," Rose replied.

"Bella, are you alright?" For the third time in a time span that was much too short Edward came running into the ER.

"I'm fine honey," I said, giving him a chaste kiss. "I just hurt my hand."

"We'll leave the two of you to be," Kate said, linking her arm with Garrett's. "And don't even ask, we'll cover for you. And I do mean for the rest of your shift."

"Thanks! I owe you one," Edward said as they walked away. "So what happened?" he asked, turning to me.

"Mommy punched someone," Libby, sitting next to me, added. She made it look like it was quite the achievement.

"She did?" Edward flashed me one of his lopsided grins.

"Yes, there was a woman and she was very mean to me and mommy and then mommy hit her and the lady was still very mean to mommy and then aunt Rose hit her as well," Libby took a deep breath after her long explanation. "And then aunt Alice wanted to hit her as well but she never did. And we saw Harry Potter."

"It sounds like you had quite the morning sweetheart," Edward said, giving her a hug while he shot me an amused grin. "So…..mommy hurt her hand because she hit someone?"

"It was Lauren," I defended myself as Edward lifted the icepack off my hand to inspect the damage. "And you might want to hold off on examining me. We wouldn't want to anger any more ER docs would we?"

Fortunately the doctor in question came in right that moment, cutting short all clandestine examinations for the moment. I felt Edward tense up beside me as he spotted the man in the lab coat, a growl rising in his chest.

This was going to get ugly.

"I see you've taken your whole family with you!" The rather young doctor joked as he entered the curtained off section where we had been ushered into.

"Is that a bad thing?" Edward growled.

"Doctor Cullen." The doctor went into a state of shock when he spotted Edward standing next to me. "I didn't know you were an acquaintance of the patient."

"She's my fiancé," Edward barked back.

"Ah, I see," the poor doctor took a few steps back, almost hiding in a corner. "W-well I'm doctor Morris," he stammered.

"Nice to meet you," I offered trying to comfort him a little though Edward did nothing to help me. "I'd shake your hand but as you see that's quite impossible at the moment." I nudged Edward in the ribs to get him to quit glaring at the poor doctor.

"W-well, I'll just get some s-s-stuff to check your hand and we'll be good to go." He almost sprinted out of the room after he had finished his sentence.

"Stuff," Edward hissed.

"What the hell is all that about?" I asked, turning to face him.

"Daddy's in trouble," Libby sang.

"I believe he is," Alice grinned. The three others had been awfully quiet during the whole exchange.

"Alice, why don't you take Rose and Libby to our house?" I asked. "The doctor was right. It is a bit crowded in here and I don't want to expose Libby to hospitals too much," I added. "No offense of course."

"None taken,' Edward chuckled. "And I agree. It's best to take Libby home. I'll take Bella home after we're done here."

"Kay," Alice chirped. "We need to discuss some super secret stuff anyway."

"You'd better not be planning me a bachelorette party," I huffed. I had seen enough male strippers to last a life time.

"Don't be such a party pooper Bella," Alice scoffed, walking out of the room as the – still nervous – doctor Morris came shuffling back in.

"Let's just get this over with," he sighed, more to himself than to anyone else.

"Edward," I scowled as he practically growled at the poor man when I winced after he assessed the damage to my hand.

"I'm sorry," doctor Morris said, looking shyly at Edward.

"Just do your job," Edward sneered. So much for a pleasant working environment.

The poor ER-doc and Edward both agreed that – probably much to Alice's relief – no bones were broken and that some rest and more ice would suffice to have my hand back to some sort of normal by next week.

"So what was all that about?" I asked, as soon as I had been given the all clear.

"Doctor Morris is and incompetent ass," Edward growled. "I can't believe they even let him loose down here."

"It can't be that bad," I said, rolling my eyes. "He did managed to get his license after all."

"I don't know who he bribed to come this far," Edward moped. "But I don't like the thought of him getting anywhere near my family."

I rolled my eyes at him. As much as I hated it when Edward would go all caveman on me and talk about 'his girl' and 'his family', I also had to admit it was kind of a turn on.

"I'll just get my 'stuff'," Edward said, rolling his eyes as he used the word 'stuff', "and we'll get out of here."

--

EPOV

--

"Any messages for me?" I asked the nurse over at the reception as I straightened my lab coat. I had just come out of a complicated heart surgery which had taken up most of my shift.

"Doctor Denali left you a message," the nurse said, handing me a folded sheet of paper. "I think it's about your fiancé."

I quickly unfolded the paper and glanced over it on my way downstairs. I wondered what might have happened this time as Kate's note said that Bella had been brought into the ER with a possible fracture in her hand.

The look on Bella's face when Libby explained what happened was priceless. She blushed a lovely shade of red, trying to hide behind her hair while Libby spoke.

I couldn't help but tense up as I heard the name of the person she had attacked.

Lauren.

The arrival of an ER doctor, coming to take care of Bella's wounded hand cut short any deliberations of what happened.

I had to fight hard to suppress a growl as I recognize the face of doctor Morris. Was this their way of getting back at me for overstepping my boundaries before? Sending me the most incompetent ass that worked in this dumping ground for incompetent asses?

If he thought he could get within a two feet radius of my Bella he had another thing coming.

Right before I could move to push him away I felt Bella's hand come up to restrain me. She looked at me with a mix of confusion and amusement as the idiot started speaking.

He wasted no time in proofing just how much of an idiot he really was. Stumbling over every word and even his own two feet as he hastily withdrew from the room in search for supplies. Or 'stuff' as he called it.

Stuff.

Really?

It was the equipment used by us to make people better. I'm sure the venerable doctor Alexander Fleming would have been moved to hear his lifesaving invention being called 'stuff'.

Then of course he also had to make the inexcusable mistake of hurting my Bella. Really. How hard could it be to assess the damage? I had managed to do so in under five minutes and without making her flinch. How incompetent does someone have to be to mess up like this?

The only good thing about this was that no bones were broken. Bella's hand was just bruised and swollen from the impact with Lauren's face. She would be okay in a few days when it had had time to heal. The bruises would last for a while longer though.

"I'll just get my 'stuff'," I groaned again at the mention of the word, "and we'll get out of here."

I actually couldn't wait to get Bella home again, not just to have her within a safe distance of the incompetent ass brigade, but also because I was dying to spend some time with her. Preferably alone. Preferably in bed.

The thought of my Bella, my sweet innocent – okay, sometimes not so innocent – Bella getting into a fistfight with her arch nemesis was actually quite the turn on. I could only imagine the things Lauren would have had to say to evoke such a strong reaction out of Bella. She had never been a violent kind of person, not even when her mother and her had been fighting, so this would probably have been pretty bad.

"So you ran into Lauren?" I asked as we drove back home.

"I did," Bella said, plucking at the sleeves of her jacket. I glanced sideways to see the blush had made a reappearance.

"What happened?"

"We talked," Bella shrugged. "Or rather, I talked while she sneered."

"And….?"

"And then she called Libby a little bastard." Bella's voice took on a fierce tone as she said it. "So I hit her."

"Good," I stated. I was this close to turning the car around in search for that vile bitch.

"What?"

"It was a good thing you hit her," I replied, looking at her confused expression. "she sure as hell deserved it. The only thing negative thing about all this is that you were hurt doing so."

"Yeah," she sighed. "Emmett will never let me live that one down."

"Why not?" I mean, all things considered she had done pretty well. She had landed a good punch on the bitch and came out of it reasonably unscathed.

"Emmett always taught me to not tuck my thumb into my fist when I punched someone," Bella explained. "The only time I put his instructions to good use I forget and end up with a swollen hand."

"You would have ended up with a swollen hand anyway," I chuckled. "Believe me, I know."

"I never took you for a violent man," she grinned.

"You never met me during those first years at college," I sighed. I had gotten into my fair share of fights back then, most of them under the influence of alcohol or worse. "And even now……I would never hesitate to hurt someone who poses a threat to my family."

"Yeah, I saw that," she giggled.

"Admit it Bella," I laughed with her. "I know you like it." She could complain all she liked about me being protective of her and Libby, but I knew it also turned her on. Her eyes and face simply gave her away.

"Don't let it get to your head," she scolded, exiting the car before I could open the door for her. It was her way of re-establishing our natural order.

"Did you get a cast mommy?" Libby yelled as she ran out of the house barefooted, Alice running after her with a pair of slippers.

"Darcy Elizabeth Cullen!" Bella scolded. All three of us stopping death in our tracks at the tone of her voice. "Did I not teach you any manners?"

Libby's face dropped, as she padded back into the house.

"First you go running after a boy you don't even know and now you come running out of the house like some crazy Neanderthal."

Libby ran after a boy? She was far too young to do that! What boy? How did she know him?

"Sorry mom," Libby said in a tiny voice, still looking at her bare feet.

"That's better," Bella stated. "Now be a good girl and follow your aunt upstairs to finish dressing and I'll tell you all about what happened after you left when you get back downstairs."

"What boy," I growled the moment Libby and Alice were out of sight.

"That actor from Harry Potter," she said, rolling her eyes at my reaction. I could not believe how cavalier she was about all of this. Our daughter should not be running after boys at her age. Or at any age,come to think of it. "Some girls at the playground spotted him and Libby thought it would be a good idea to follow them as they ran after him."

"And you allowed that?" I said, my tone perhaps a little more agitated then it should be,

"Of course not," Bella spat back. "What the hell do you think of me?"

"Sorry," I sighed, knowing I had gone too far. "I just don't like the idea of Libby and boys."

"What are you going to do when she brings home her first boyfriend?" she smirked. "Wave a gun at him?"

"That's not an idea am entirely opposed to," I admitted. I wondered if Emmett had kept their dad's old gun. It might come in handy one day.

"Men," Bella groaned.

"Aren't you scared our little girl is going to bring home some random guy one day?" I asked.

"Sure," Bella admitted, still laughing at me. "But I know we can't keep her locked up indoors forever. It's going to happen anyway and I think we should trust Libby's judgment when that day comes."

"I know how teen aged boys think," I scowled. "I don't want any of them sniffing around my daughter with their filthy little minds."

"Men," Bella muttered under her breath as she walked into the living room, rolling her eyes at me one last time.

"So I hear you punched a girl in the face!" Emmett yelled as soon as Bella had set foot in the room. "Good on ya sis!"

"You're acting like I won a title match or something!" I heard Bella say.

"You stood up for yourself, that's all a big brother could wish for!" Even from outside the room I could hear the pride in Emmett's voice.

When I entered the room I saw that Emmett was studying Bella's hand, scrutinizing her bruises. "You didn't pull your thumb out of your fist," he said disappointedly.

"I forgot," Bella said in a tiny voice. "Sorry."

"Doesn't matter squirt," Emmett replied, ruffling her hair. "It would have hurt, like hell even if you would have stuck your thumb in your nose," he added. "Or hers."

"All that matters is that you finally stood up for yourself," Rose added, wrapping one of her arms around Bella.

"I'm proud of you squirt," Emmett said, "just remember to pull your thumb out of your fist next time."

"Will do," Bella chuckled., "Though I hope you won't be disappointed if that won't be for a little while."

"We'll have to buy you a pair of gloves," Alice glowered, looking at Bella's bruised hand. "There's no way the bruises will have faded in time for the wedding."

"I'm sure you'll find the perfect pair for me," Bella soothed. She had gotten much better at dealing with the fashionista side of my pixie sister lately.

We ended up ordering Chinese and hanging out with the whole family, talking about earlier fist fights we had gotten into and the best way to deck someone with minimal damage to your own body.

I found out that Emmett, though he looked like he could take care of himself rather well, actually had very little experience with hand to hand combat. According to him his physique scared anyone looking for a fight off. He'd just have to glare at someone to make them run for safety.

"Did you know no guy in highschool dared to approach me – well apart from Jacob – because of Emmett?" Bella giggled as we made our way upstairs after the rest of the family had left.

"I'm not surprised," I chuckled. "Not that I would have let Emmett scare me off, of course."

"Of course not," she laughed back, rolling her eyes at me.

"How is your hand?" I had been ensuring Bella kept her hand wrapped in an icepack all evening, even though she started to complain of hypothermia after a few hours.

"Still a little sore," she admitted. "Though it's getting better now."

"Can I have a look at it?"

"Sure," she chuckled at my concern. "Anything else you'd want to check out doctor Cullen?" She purred, brushing her fingers over my chest and down to my hips.

Damn! How was I ever going to be a responsible doctor and treat my girl right when she was acting like this?

Not that I minded of course.

"Well, now that you mention it," I replied after ensuring her hand was going to be fine, "I did want to make sure the rest of you was unscathed."

"Then tell me.....doctor," the sound of her voice, low and seductive, send a shiver down my spine and made my pants suddenly feel awfully tight, "what do you want me to do?"

Hmmmm. Dilemma, dilemma. What did I want her to do most?

"Let's get you out of those clothes for starters," I suggested, lifting my hands to help her.

"I'm not so much of an invalid that I can't undress myself," he said, playfully swatting my hands away. "So why don't you sit back and....just enjoy the show?"

I swallowed hard, sitting down in the seat in front of her vanity as Bella started to undress herself in front of me.

Excruciatingly slow.

Remaining seated, a few feet away from her., not touching her, was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I struggled a few times, especially when Bella struggled with the buttons on her blouse and jeans since she had only one hand to work with. One look from her made me sit down again though. I might have fooled myself into thinking I was in charge, I never really stood a chance against her.

She reached behind her, undoing the clasps of her bra and letting the fabric fall away from her body, the straps slowly inching down over her arms. The minute her nipples were exposed to the chilly air of our bedroom they started to react, hardening, beckoning me to run my fingers over them.

This was my undoing.

Before Bella could protest I had scooped her up, placed her on the bed and hovered over her, keeping my weight supported on one of my hands while the other traveled over her body, enveloping her breast as my thumb rubbed over her pebbled peak.

She reached her good hand behind my head, pulling it towards her as her lips found mine. She fisted her hand in my hair as our tongued tangled, caressing each other, until we had to break apart, gasping for air.

I kissed my way along her jaw to her neck and further down to her peaks, letting my tongue encircle her nipples as my hand lavished attention on her other mound. She squirmed underneath me, her legs rubbing against each other in search of friction.

"Edward please," she begged. "I need you."

"Then take me,"I panted, looking into her hooded, lust filled eyes.

She sat up, taking her bottom lip in between her teeth as she started working on the buttons of my shirt, kissing any skin she exposed.

"You know I could do that a lot faster, don't you?" I offered, getting a little impatient at her slow progress.

"But would it be as much fun?" she grinned mischievously, brushing the fabric of my shirt of my shoulders.

He hands trailed back up over my arms and shoulders to latch themselves in my hair after she had discarded it. I pulled her into my lap, needing her close to me so that I could kiss her, touch her, claim her.

"You're right about that," I grunted out in between kisses. The way she was grinding against me brought me to the brink of insanity and I knew I wasn't going to last long if she kept this up.

So I took charge again, pushing her back softly so she was lying on the bed again while I made quick work of my pants and boxers.

"Hey, I wanted to do that!" she said disappointedly.

"I'm sorry love," I chuckled. "But at the rate you were going the show would have been over before it started." She blushed at my words. "And by the way, I thought you were done playing?"

"True," she stated, her eyes glistening with a combination of lust and love. "Make love to me Edward."

I slowly slid into her, reveling in her warmth as she enveloped me, took me in, welcomed me home. We both moaned at the sensation as I started to slowly move in and out of her. "God Bella, you feel so amazing," I panted as she wrapped her legs around me, pulling me even deeper inside of her.

"Edward," she moaned. I could hear she was close. I was close. We were close.

I lowered my head to her breasts, kissing and nipping at her peaks as I increased my pace.

"Yes! Edward! Faster!" she panted, fisting her hands in my pair and pulling me upwards again as she kissed me with all the passion she felt.

"Bella," I moaned. I was so close. So close. But I wanted her to fall over the edge first. I wanted to see my Bella's face as I brought her to her climax. "Please, come for me."

"I'm so close," she panted and I could see her face twisting in anticipation of her release. "Oh God!"

He back arched away from the bed and into my chest as she exploded around me, pulling me over the edge with her as we crashed onto the mattress together, panting for air. I tried to keep most of my weight off her, afraid I was going to crush her underneath me, but found myself unable to even support myself.

I finally rolled over, our slick body's whimpering in discontent at the loss of contact as I left her warmth.

"I love you my angel," I sighed, pulling her into my arms.

"I can't wait to get married to you," she said, kissing a trail over my chest. "And expand our family."

I could almost hear her blush through her voice even though she had nothing to be embarrassed about. "Are you sure?" I asked.

"What?" she asked tensing up beside me. "Don't you want any more children?"

"Of course I want more children," I chuckled, leaning in for a quick kiss. "And I can't wait to start trying. It's just, I thought you might want to wait since you just started your new job at the university."

"I'm tired of waiting," she sighed, snuggling further into my embrace. "I've waited over five years for you and now that I have you I kind of want it all."

"Then you shall have all you want, my love," I replied, the huge grin that spread over my face showing in my voice.

We stayed silent for a little while, both wrapped up in the thought that perhaps a year from now on we would be holding another one of our children in our arms. I couldn't wait to be a father again. To experience the whole pregnancy, everything I had missed before.

"So when do you want to start trying?" I asked cautiously, brushing my fingers over Bella's back. I didn't want to scare her with my eagerness to start as soon as we had said our 'I do's '

"How about next week? After the wedding?" She must have read my mind yest again.

"Next week sounds fabulous," I whispered, kissing the top of her head.

_**So Bella and Edward will be working on expanding their little family soon...**_

_**The thing with Daniel Radcliffe kind of happened to me when I was in NY last summer. Me and my friend were sitting on a bench when all hell broke loose around us. Turns out the guy had been walking right behind us, even stopping to ask for directions, and we had completely missed it. Just my luck.**_

_**The thing about the thumbs is also something I found out the hard way. Don't ask.**_

**_Nbau12 has written a story based on my take on Stepehnie Meyers characters. The story in itself is completely seperate from mine it just uses the characters and settings of my story. It's called Spin off: my mistakes were made for you and from what I understand it's going to be a bit darker than this story. Go check it out!_**

_**I hope to have the next chapter up on Friday but I can't make any promises. I'll be working on the next chapter of Carlisle's Angels and my entry for KittenMischief's Who's line is it anyway contest (It's called 'Control' and it's going to be a Jasper x Rosalie fic based on the song "She's lost control" by Joy Division) until Wednesday and I'm away on an excursion all Thursday. The chapter is as good as done but it is rather long (11,000 + words!) so it's going to take me a lot of time to revise it. Since it's the wedding chapter I want it to be really good so I'll have to take my time checking it over and whipping it into shape. I'll try my hardest to get it done though.**_

_**Do you know what will make me work even harder? Reviews!**_


	39. Hallelujah

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

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_**So here we come to the part when Edward and Bella finally get married. The song I used for the wedding (and the title of this chapter) is Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley. The lyrics of the song may not seem appropriate to a wedding but the choice for it is explained in the chapter (plus Mr. Buckley himself said that his rendition of the song was a homage to the hallelujah of the orgasm so I figured I was kind of safe) The 'balcony scene' was inspired by Corpus Christi Carol by the same artist (yes, I'm a fan). Links to both songs and Bella's dress can be found on my profile.**_

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**Hallelujah.**

I hate Alice.

Not only has she used the last three days to torture me with every available beauty product known to man, she has also been determined to keep me away from the man I'm marrying tomorrow.

I had been sneaking around like some renegade criminal, trying to escape for half an hour here and there to run over to Edward and fling myself in his arms. Unfortunately the busy program that had been drawn up by the terrible trio left me with precious little opportunity for that.

When we had decided to have the wedding in Chicago I had never really thought about the implications it would have for our friends. I had been so wrapped up in my own happiness I didn't think about the practical aspects of having the wedding hundreds of miles away from where most of the people you wanted to attend lived.

Of course Edward had been quick to deliver an Edward-style solution to this problem. He had hired a private jet to allow all of our friends to travel to Chicago with us without having to worry about the cost and for those not living in New York he had enclosed a first class airline ticket with their invitations.

Of course he hadn't discussed the hiring of a private jet with me.

I had been livid.

I mean, what the hell was wrong with a normal plane? They had seats and snacks and everything else a person could want! This wedding was going to cost a fortune as it was. Why go overboard even more?

Unfortunately for me by the time I discovered his plans it had been too late. The plane had been booked and everyone had been informed of our mode of travel.

Sneaky bastard.

I was glad he did now, because the plane ride had allowed me precious time with him, sitting in his lap and resting my head against his shoulder for the duration of the flight.

When we arrived in Chicago Alice had suddenly taken charge and pushed us all in two minivans that were waiting for us on the tarmac. One for the boys, taking them to Carlisle and Esme's home, and one for the girls.

We had been driven to a house about a mile away from where the boys were staying that had been rented for the occasion. The place was beautiful, a tall colonial style building with large windows and a huge balcony giving a spectacular view of the forest around us.

The only thing that had been lacking was Edward.

The best part of the last three days had been spend getting all of us in shape for the wedding. I had been plucked, kneaded, scrubbed, groomed and trimmed into perfection. I swear, the evil pixie would have even cracked a whip if she would have thought it added to the murderous beauty regimen she had drawn up.

"Mommy?" Libby asked, standing in the doorway to our room. "Are you coming downstairs? We are about to start the party."

"In a minute sweetie," I said, fixing a huge satin flower to my hair. "Why don't you go look and see if aunt Alice needs any help?"

I had put my foot down and refused to attend any bachelorette party that involved strippers, nightclubs or any other things I was uncomfortable with. Tomorrow would be a huge enough leap out of my comfort zone when I was stared at while I walked down the isle.

So instead of having a night on the town like Rose had, Alice and Rose had organized a tropical themed night at the house, which meant Libby could be there with us as well. At least for the first half of the party.

Alice being Alice she had turned the whole house into a tropical island, covering every surface in banana leaves and hanging coconuts from the lampshades. She had even arranged for costumes for all of us which had me dressed up in a straw skirt and a bright blue bikini top with a matching flower in my hair. I sighed, looking into the mirror. It was a good thing the weather was warm or I would have been freezing to death like I had on Rose's bachelorette party.

I had just turned to walk out the room when I heard something snap against the balcony doors. I looked up to see what it was. Perhaps a bird had flown against the windows.

Then I heard it again.

No bird.

A stone.

I stepped out onto the balcony to see what it was, only to be faced with the most beautiful sight in the world.

Edward.

My fiancé.

Mine.

He stood in the middle of the little patch of grass underneath my balcony, smiling up at me as I leaned over the railing.

"What light through yonder window breaks?" His beautiful velvety voice sounded clear into the warm night air. "It is the east and my dearest loveliest Isabella is the sun."

I knew I should probably have spoken back. I mean, I had studied this play quite profusely and I knew it almost by heart.

I should remember the lines.

I should say something.

But I couldn't.

There was something about Edward standing there, looking up at me with his sparkling green eyes that took my breath away. Made my thoughts go completely incoherent and my bones turn to mush.

So I stared.

And blushed.

And he stared back.

"Edward Cullen get the hell out of here!" Alice came screaming out of the house, disrupting our little moment. Her little straw skirt waved all over the place as she dashed towards Edward, determined to shoo him away.

"What is your problem fair pixie?" Edward grinned, never taking his eyes away from mine.

"You're getting married tomorrow and it's bad luck to see the bride the day before the wedding!" Alice huffed.

"We still have fifteen minutes," Edward chuckled, flashing me a grin. "And I intend to make the most of those. So if you would please step aside and let me through....."

"I'll get you for this!" Alice snarled, stomping her foot in anger. I guess she had always been a sore looser.

"Alice, let your brother pass," Esme laughed, no doubt coming to look what all the fuss was about. The other occupants of the house hot on her heals.

"But this is a penis free house," Alice whined, stepping aside so Edward could walk into the house.

"You know I'm getting a little tired of that shit," Rose growled. "I wish I never came up with it."

"What?" Alice yelled exasperated. "I thought it was a genius idea."

"Not when it has you cockblocked for three bloody days," Rose spat back.

"You'd better not be staying a second past your curfew!" Alice voice resounded through the house as Edward stepped into my room.

He let his eyes travel over my body, drinking in my scantily clad form. "We might have to save this particular little item for later," he crooned, scooping me up in his arms.

"Perhaps we do," I muttered against his lips. If it got this kind of reaction out of him it was worth keeping.

He kissed me with a passion that almost made me melt. The electrical current that always ran between us when we touched so much stronger now that we had been forced to spend our days apart.

"Let's elope," he groaned against my neck. "I can't bear to stand another moment away from you."

"I don't think the pixie will let us go," I panted, crushing my lips to his again. I wrapped my left leg around his waist, pulling him closer to me. I needed him close for as long as I could have him. I knew it wouldn't be long before Alice came crashing through the door to tear us apart again.

He seemed to understand my unspoken request, his hands cupping my ass and lifting me up against him, his lips never leaving mine.

"Damn the pixie," he growled in between kisses, pulling me even closer against him. I couldn't agree more.

He took a few steps, crossing the room, and I felt the wood of the door against my back. I smiled against his lips. "Smart move."

"I have been known to be brilliant sometimes," he growled, nipping at my earlobe.

"Arrogant ass," I moaned. Writhing against his hips is search of some much needed friction to sooth the throbbing need that had started to built in between my thighs.

"And you fucking love it." His words send another wave of desire coursing through my body. I mean, I loved Edward and his usual gentlemanly ways, but somehow him talking dirty to me was enough to almost make me come apart at the seems.

"I do," I panted, sucking on his bottom lip.

"You can save those words for tomorrow love," he chuckled, silencing me with another searing kiss.

"ENOUGH!" Alice yelled, pounding against the door. "LET HER GO EDWARD OR SO HELP ME I'M GOING TO KICK THE DOOR OUT OF IT'S HINGES!"

"I'd like to see her try," Edward chuckled against my lips.

"Don't go." The thought of having him walk out the door again was almost unbearable.

"Just one more day love," Edward whispered, kissing me gently. "One more day and no force on earth could ever tear us apart again."

The sounds of Alice trying to force her way in were starting to get louder every minute.

"I'd better go," Edward sighed, leaning in for one more kiss as he set me back on the ground.

"No," I whined.

"Let's not tempt fate," he sighed reluctantly, looking at the lock on the nightstand. "I'll see you in twenty four hours my angel. I have my own bachelor party to get to."

That had me a little worried.

I trusted Edward. With my life. With my heart.

My brother, however, I didn't trust.

"Do you know what they have planned?" I asked, my worry seeping through my voice.

"A nightly hunting trip," Edward chuckled. "It was meant to be a secret, but you know Emmett....."

"I don't know if I'm all too pleased about the fact that you'll be running through the forest with guns at night," I groaned.

"Don't worry love," He chuckled. "They'll be paint guns."

"Better," I sighed, resting my head against his chest, breathing in his scent while trying my hardest to block out the noise of Alice crashing against the door and hollering abuse at us while she tried to break the offending piece of wood down.

"I'll miss you," I sighed, kissing him one last time.

"I love you." With that he opened the door, sending Alice flying into the room. The force with which she had been attacking the door was enough to send her stumbling in and crashing to the floor.

"!" she barked as she leaped to her feat again.

"Daddy!" Libby giggled as Edward scooped her up and carried her downstairs. We shared one last look before he vanished out of sight.

"You. Argh!" Alice growled at me, obviously disappointed with my reluctance to join in the party downstairs.

"Just give me a minute Alice," I sighed, trying to tame my hair in front of the mirror. "I'll be downstairs looking perky and happy in a few."

"You'd better be damn perky," she growled, before making her way downstairs again.

She hadn't been gone a minute before my attention was called to a tap on the window.

"Back so soon?" I chuckled, pulling the balcony door open. My laughter soon died when I discovered it wasn't Edward on the other side of the door. "Jacob? What are you doing here?" I was surprised to see my old friend at the 'womens house'. How on earth did he get past Alice's security measurements? "Aren't you supposed to be with the rest of the men?"

"I couldn't leave without seeing you one more time," he panted as if he had just climbed up the building. Perhaps he had.

There was something in the tone of his voice as he spoke to me that unnerved me. This wasn't Jacob the friend speaking to me.

"What are you saying?" I asked, trying to get a grip on this new Jacob that seemed oddly familiar. "Are you leaving?"

"You can't expect me to hang around to watch you make the biggest mistake of your life!" he yelled, throwing his arms in the air.

"What?" This was starting to get more surreal by the minute. "I'm making a mistake? What the hell do you mean?"

"You and me Bella," he said, roughly grabbing my face in his hands. "We belong together."

"Jake!" I yelled, trying to get away from him.

"Come away with me Bella," he said, pacing up and down the balcony. "I'll explain to your family."

"No!" I yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

He looked at me with glassy eyes and I realized he was probably drunk as a skunk.

"You belong with Leah Jake," I sighed, "go back. Make things right again with her."

"No," he groaned, sounding like a wounded animal. "I love you." He sank to his feet against the railing.

"You don't love me," I said, shaking my head as I sat down next to him. "You love the idea of what we had. It's Leah you love."

"But what she did....."

"Was inexcusable," I added, "but you have to find a way passed that. You belong with her, Jake. I could see that. She did it because she loved you."

"How can you forgive her?" he asked, his pain and confusion still clear in his voice.

"I haven't," I sighed. "But that doesn't mean I can't understand why she did it. I would probably have done the same for Edward."

"No you wouldn't," he smirked.

"Yeah," I sighed. "You're probably right. I'm too much of a chicken to willingly hurt someone."

"What the hell is going on here?" Rose yelled, crashing through the door. "Bella are you alright? I could hear you screaming downstairs."

"I'm fine Rose," I said, walking back into the room. "Let's get downstairs."

Rose's eyes however were fixed behind me. "YOU," she barked. "I could have known you couldn't get within a mile radius of Bella without fucking up her life."

"Let it go Rose," I groaned. The last thing Jacob needed now was another fight. "Jake was just leaving." I turned to Jacob. "Right?"

"Thanks Bella," Jake said, rising to leave. "For everything." The sadness on his face when he turned around broke my heart, in spite of all the anger I felt over his little performance from before. I knew I had been the cause of all this. If I had been strong enough to withstand the hopes of Jacob, my dad and his dad and followed my head in stead of my wish to make everyone happy it would never have come to this. Jacob would never have entertained hope of conquering my heart. He would never have been heartbroken.

"I should have had a revolving door installed," Alice huffed as she watched Jacob coming down the stairs. "The place looks like a whorehouse on payday."

"Alice," Esme scolded, trying to hide her grin.

"Let's just get the party started?" I offered.

"Fine," she huffed, pressing play on the cd-player.

"So that was the infamous Jacob?" Kate asked as the house was filled with Hawaiian style music. "What was he doing here?"

"Knowing him he probably tried to get Bella to elope with him," Rose growled. "He did! Didn't he!" she shrieked, watching my face colour from it's regular pale to bright red. "That damn bastard! I should have kicked his sorry ass when I had a chance!"

"What did uncle Jake do?" Libby chimed in. I was glad she didn't seem to understand most of what Rose had been saying.

"He just wanted to talk, that's all," I soothed, not only trying to calm Libby but also the rest of the group. "He's been through a lot lately."

"I'm sure he'll rally," Alice snorted, unimpressed. "Let's just start the games."

We spend the rest of the evening doing the most corny games known to man, watching Hawaiian themed movies and chatting away like teenage girls. The only disturbance to the party was when Emmett jumped out in front of the windows butt naked and drunk as a skunk waving his paint ball gun above his head.

"Come get it ladies!" he jelled. "I'm the king of the woods!"

"Now this is why I don't like men," Zafrina snickered. "You don't see us snatching every opportunity to strip down and wave our goods around don't you?"

"And to think I married the guy," Rose sighed, as Felix and Garrett appeared – thankfully fully clothed – to try and take Emmett back into the woods.

"I can see why," Kate grinned. "Good work Renee!"

"It runs in the family," my mom said with a dreamy face.

"Mom!" I complained, once again glad Libby had already gone to bed. "It's bad enough I have to watch Emmett naked. There's no need ot hear anything about your sex life."

"Well," my mom smirked with an evil glint in her eyes. "Let's talk about yours then. That Edward looks like he knows how to handle himself in the bedroom….."

"MOM!" I yelled. I couldn't understand the strange fascination some women had with discussing the intimate details of other people's lives.

"If he takes after his uncle…." Esme chimed in.

"MOM!" This time it was Alice who spoke up.

"I'll go sort out my man, while you ladies bicker," Rose grinned, opening the patio doors. As soon as he spotted Rose my brother struggled free from Felix and Garret's hold, scooped a squealing and cursing Rose over his shoulder and made off into the woods like a caveman.

"Yup, he definitely takes after his father," Renee sighed.

"I never saw dad touch you when I still lived in Forks," I growled. The very comforting lack of PDA had been the only good thing about growing up in a household where your parents are locked into a replay of the Cold War.

"We were young once," my mom gushed. "And well…..I didn't exactly marry your father for his money did I?"

We all went to bed soon after things had settled down again and Rose had come back looking completely disheveled and with a huge grin on her face. It didn't take a degree in nuclear physics to guess what she had been up to.

I slipped into bed next to Libby, hugging her close to me. It was the last night of just the two of us. The last night in which our family would officially be two. Tomorrow we'd be three.

It was the end of an era.

And end I had been most anxiously looking forward to.

I smiled when I looked at Libby's right hand and saw the tiny silver ring on the third finger. Edward had given it to her the night before we left for Chicago. It was a silver copy of our own white golden wedding bands. It even had the same inscription – more than my own life – and her new name, Darcy Elizabeth Cullen engraved on the inside.

Edward had explained that Libby deserved to have a tangible reminder to the day when he would officially adopt her and giver her his name. He had told me that he felt like he was marrying both of us, not just me. Hence the ring.

I glanced at the big white garment bag holding my dress. If it wasn't for the whole circus surrounding the wedding I would have been perfectly happy. I couldn't wait for morning to come. I couldn't wait to get married. I couldn't wait to be starting the rest of my life.

My life with Edward.

"Mommy?" she sighed, waking up slightly. "Is it morning yet?"

"No sweetie, go back to sleep," I chuckled, kissing her head before drifting off as well.

--

EPOV

--

I was beginning to grow more and more impatient every hour. It had been six hours since the last time I had seen Bella, six hours of having to endure Emmett's constant teasing, James's bragging about all the 'babes' he had 'bagged', Jaspers apologizing for the involuntary groping of my fiancé during their trip to London and Jacobs unsettling stares.

I swear the guy was planning something. The fact alone that he and Leah had 'temporarily' split up after he had discovered what she had done to Bella and me was enough to make me uncomfortable and now he was acting like this. I didn't like it at all.

I knew Jacob had always been in love with Bella, even though she never really loved him back. The only redeeming feature for him in my eyes was the fact that he had been with Leah by the time we met. He hadn't been a threat. That was….until now.

"How fast the years have flown by." The words of father Ralph shook my from my thoughts.

"Indeed," Carlisle agreed, nipping from his drink while we sat in his study.

We were going over the last details for tomorrow, ironing out the last little problems that might arise while taking trips down memory lane. I was starting to like this kind of thing now that the thought of my parents didn't hurt so much anymore. I learned so much about the people who had given me life that I had gained a whole new appreciation and respect for them. They weren't just the vague ghosts of the past, they were starting to become almost like real people now.

Bella and I had met with father Ralph, who had been a friend of the family and the officiator of many events that had shaped our lives a few days ago, right after we had landed in Chicago. He had just taken orders when he had been asked to officiate the wedding of his childhood friend, my father. From that point on he had been our family priest. He had been the one to marry Carlisle and Esme, baptise both Alice and myself and he had buried my parents after they had died. He had been the only one I could ever imagine marrying Bella and me.

"I can remember joining your parents together in matrimony as clear as if it where yesterday," the father mused. "and now it is your turn." He looked at me with an amused glint in his eyes. "Are you nervous?"

"Not for a second," I replied within a heartbeat. "I can't wait for the day to come."

"Just like Carlisle," father Ralph chuckled. "There wasn't a doubt in his mind when he got married either, unlike your father…."

"So he was nervous?' I asked as Carlisle began to snicker.

"He spend his last night as a bachelor in the bathroom puking his guts out," Carlisle explained.

"When I came over, much as I have today, to go over the ceremony one last time I found him pacing up and down his bedroom, convinced your mother wasn't going to show up," father Ralph added. "You seem to take after your uncle in that way."

"I have no doubts where Bella is concerned," I smiled, looking out the window. I could just about see a hint of the decorations Esme had had put up in the back garden. Over the last few days the whole house had transformed into an ocean of white and green. With Esme staying at the women's house the task had fallen on me to oversee most of the decorating while the women were off doing whatever it is women do in anticipation of a wedding.

We had pretty much lagged around the house, helping out with the decorating when we had to and playing football and drinking beer when we could. I should have been heaven, if it where not for the almost complete lack of Bella and Libby.

The only time I had been allowed to spend with them had been when we had been visiting father Ralph at his church or during the rehearsal dinner and even then we had never been allowed to spend even a moment alone. A few stolen moment here and there were all I had to sustain me until tomorrow.

God I wanted her.

I wondered if I would be able to sneak off to the women's house after father Ralph had left, though I realized it would take a lot of planning do so since Alice would be hell bent on keeping me out and she sure was a force to be reckoned with. I knew I was cutting it close if I wanted to run over to the girls' house and have a few moment alone with my beloved before seven.

"Edward, father Ralph is leaving," Carlisle said, drawing my attention to the fact that I had once again been so rude as to ignore our guest.

"Sorry, I was miles away," I excused myself.

"No need to apologize," father Ralph replied, shaking my hand. "I'm glad to see you so in love. I'd rather you didn't pay attention to me than to your bride." He paused, his eyes glistening with mirth. "But as I've seen there's nothing to worry about there."

While Carlisle took leave of father Ralph I pondered a way to sneak into the women's house, knowing it would take more than a smile to get passed Alice. In the end I figured I wouldn't try to break into the house like a thief. I had just as much right to see Bella as Alice had and either she would let me pass or she and I would just have to battle it out. At least I knew I could take her.

When I reached the back door I was surprised to find Jacob there, his backpack on his shoulders, trying to sneak out of the house in much the same way as I had intended to do. The guilt on his face when I caught him said it all.

He was up to something.

"What are you doing Jacob?" I asked, trying to sound friendly.

"I'm leaving,' he growled.

"Why?" I spat back. Your best friend is getting married tomorrow and you're trying to sneak out of the house and flee like a criminal? That sure shows how much of a friend you really are."

"A real friend won't stand by and watch the woman he loves make the biggest mistake of her life."

"You think that's what she's doing?" I asked incredulously. On what planet was the guy living? "Is it because you're still in love with her?"

"And what if I am?" he spat back, squaring up.

"I'm not blaming you for still being in love with Bella," I stated, "but I won't stand by and let you threaten our relationship. If you ever could."

"I'm not afraid of a fight Cullen," Jacob growled. "Bring it on."

"Fight's over," I spat back. "I won. She's marrying me tomorrow and there's nothing you can do to stop us. She doesn't love you and she never has and if you ever, EVER, hurt her……I'll kill you."

"Fuck you Cullen," he spat at me before storming out of the house. Hopefully that was the last I would ever see of him.

"Well spoken there Eddie boy," Emmett said. "I'm beginning to see why my Rosie hates him so much."

"I knew he was up to something," I growled, every muscle in my body still poised to fight. A large part of me still wanted to go after him to beat him into a pulp. How dare he do this!

Another part of me was scared this wasn't the last we had seen of Jacob. What would he do now that his secret was out? Should I be worried about him?

"Yeah, well, with all the drama out of the way it's time to do a little bit of celebrating," Emmett laughed, interrupting my thoughts.

Shit. I had forgotten all about the bachelor party they had been organizing for me. I had put my foot down and insured them that if there would be any strippers – male or female – involved I would be out. After Emmett had stopped whining Garrett, Jasper, Felix and he had decided to organize an epic paint ball fight in the woods. Somehow the presence of guns and the promise of lots of beer had started to outweigh the total lack of nudity in Emmett's brain and he had joined in on the planning with a childlike enthusiasm. They had even made costumes and special helmets with night goggles for our 'hunting trip'.

"You look like it's time for a trip to the dentist!" Emmett boomed, smashing his hand on my back. "It's your bachelor bash Eddie! Unwind!"

"Bachelor parties are meant for guys who are sad to see their single days come to and end," I growled. "I can't wait to get married tomorrow so I don't see the point in celebrating today." I saw the wheels turning in Emmett's head. It was clear he had never thought about that. "And by the way….shouldn't you be glad I'm not betraying your sister by ogling some naked skank on a stage?"

"Hmmm…..well……." The wheels were obviously still turning.

"Now, I'm going over to the girls to say goodnight to my fiancé and when I get back I'd better not be finding a stripper in my room or I'll kick your ass," I growled before pulling the door shut behind me.

"Say hello to my Rosie for me," Emmett hollered after me.

Leaving Bella behind after the small amount of time Alice had allowed me to spend with her was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. The only thing that kept me going was the thought that come tomorrow night no force on earth could ever tear us apart again. She would be mine forever, as I would be hers.

It was a good thing the girls had decided to keep the bachelorette party indoors because I don't think I could have allowed Bella to walk out of the door dressed like that.

Not that I minded her outfit in the least.

I mean, the straw skirt and bikini top emphasized every beautiful curve in her body to the max and I liked the little skirt almost as much as I liked the little dress she had worn to Rose's bachelorette party. However I didn't like other men ogling what was for my eyes only.

Of course as soon as I got back to the 'men's house' Emmett started teasing me about my inability to spend even a few moments without Bella. Luckily he also had his mind on the impending shootout of which he had placed himself in charge.

It didn't take a degree in medicine to guess that this had been Emmett's wet dream. The poor guy had been disappointed he hadn't been a part of the annual Cullen hunt so he had immediately grasped at the chance to be a part of it, even if it would only be a paint ball match and no bunnies would be harmed.

"So men," he barked, marching in front of the coffee table. "each and every one of you has a task for tonight." Jasper rolled his eyes at me at Emmett's behavior. "Before we split up into teams we need to lay out some ground rules." He proceeded to explain the rules which basically amounted to no aiming for the groin and don't shoot members of your own team. "Apart from that it's every team for himself and God for us all," Emmett concluded. "Now go out, be brave and die with honor."

"I think he's watched too many Rambo movies," I growled, tightening the clasps on my body armor. "Next thing you know he'll let us clean our toilets with a toothbrush for not obeying orders."

"Yeah," Jasper agreed as he slid on his helmet. I could tell Jasper didn't like the idea of me being fitted out with a gun, even if it was a paint gun, one bit. He was still scared of repercussions after I had found the photograph Zafrina had taken of him and Bella in bed together during their trip to London.

I hadn't made a big deal out of it at the time, Bella had told me all about what happened as soon as she got back from London, but I did like watching Jasper squirm a little and my calmness about the whole thing had made him even more nervous than any visible outburst of jealousy would have been able to.

"You're on my team," he yelled as soon as we reached the forest.

"Hey!" Emmett objected. "We hadn't even gotten to that!"

"No, I'm fine with that," I chuckled. It was clear Jasper wanted to at least be on my side if we were going to be waving guns around.

"Then I get Felix," Emmett growled.

"Sure," I chuckled. "We'll take Carlisle and Garrett and you can have Ben and James."

"You're on bitch!" Emmett yelled, thinking he had struck a great deal. He had never seen my dad run around the woods before…… "Blue team, moving out!" he barked at Felix, Ben and James.

"So, what's the plan of attack?" Garrett grinned as we watched the 'blue team' retreat into the forest.

"Just shoot them and see how far it gets us?" I offered.

"I say each one of us hunts down a single target," Jasper suggested. "That way we won't have any confusion or friendly fire."

"Good plan," Carlisle nodded, "but who gets to chase who?"

"I want Emmett," I grinned.

"Deal," Jasper grinned. "How about I take James, Carlisle takes Felix and Garrett takes Ben?"

"So what do we do after we've taken out our own target?" Garrett asked. I could tell he didn't expect much resistance in his 'victim'. Perhaps I should tell him of Ben's obsession with video games.

"Report to base camp and await further instruction?" Jasper offered.

"Wouldn't that make us all sitting ducks?" I grinned. I could just see the lot of us waiting for Jasper to reappear while Emmett's team shot us from the undergrowth. I wasn't going to let that happen. I would defeat Emmett's sorry ass!

"Just find one of the others – preferably without shooting them – and help them," Carlisle suggested.

We spread out into the forest after that in search of our prey. Soon after I hear the sounds of guns being fired, followed by the booming voice of Felix cussing about having been shot in the ass.

One down.

I moved through the woods, annoyed that I still hadn't found Emmett. I mean, how hard could it be to spot a big guy in a small patch of wood? What had the guy done? Burrowed into the ground?

"Fuck!" I heard Garrett holler through the woods right after another shot had been fired. I guess that meant we were down one man as well.

"Need help son?" I almost fired my gun at Carlisle as he stepped out from behind a tree behind me.

"Emmett is proving to be a harder target than I thought," I admitted. "But I'll take him down in the end."

Right that moment we heard another gunshot.

"The tracker has struck again!" I recognized James's voice.

"I guess that means we're down to two," Carlisle said, slapping me on the back. "How about we hunt us some blues?"

We advanced together, soon spotting James who was still doing his victory dance after defeating Jasper and didn't know what hit him when Carlisle and I started firing at him.

When I saw Jasper walk towards the house over to my right I couldn't resist taking a shot at him from my place hidden in the bushes, just for good measure. Served him well for groping my wife to be. Even if he didn't mean to.

"What was that about?" Carlisle whispered, his voice a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"Don't ask," I growled.

Right before we spotted Ben the guy had taken Carlisle out with a well aimed shot. This of course totally blew his cover, making it very easy for me to take him out in return.

Then it was just Emmett and me. If only I could find the bastard.

I must have paced the same damn patch of wood a thousand time without seeing gone glimpse of him. What the hell was going on? Had he strayed outside the perimeter?

I felt the sting of the pain bullet hitting me right after I had decided to head back home.

Damn! How the fuck did he do that?

"I got him! I got him! Sweet Jesus I got him!" Emmett sang, his booming voice echoing through the trees.

"How the fuck did you manage to keep hidden?" I snarled as he held me at gunpoint.

"Really Edward?" he beamed. "You passed me what…five times? And all those times you didn't think about looking up above you once?"

"That's cheating!" If the idiot thought he could get away with that he had another thing coming.

"No it's not," he sang. "We only made rules about not aiming for the crown jewels and your own team."

Damn. I was fucked.

"And," he continued, "now that I mention it…….Didn't you shoot Jasper?"

"Not a word Swan," I growled. "Not a word."

He made a big show of zipping his lips before we made it back to the house.

We spend the rest of the night drinking and reveling in tales of epic shootouts and cunning plans. Emmett enlightened us with some of the folk tales he had heard growing up. His increasing drunkenness only heightening the pleasure.

In the end something in those stories of heroic behavior must have been more inspirational than we thought because he rose unsteady on his feet and threw the door open. "I'm going to get me my woman," he yelled before stripping naked and running into the woods.

"I guess some things never change," Felix laughed.

"An evening of fun isn't complete without Emmett running around butt naked and making a total fool of himself!" Jasper added, hi fiveing Felix.

"We'd better go after him before he gets himself arrested for public nudity. Again," Felix sighed. "Or before your Alice gets her hands on him for disrupting the girls party."

"I'm heading to bed," I laughed as I watched them go. It was getting late and I didn't want to be tired tomorrow. I didn't want to mis a single moment of the wedding.

"Goodnight son," Carlisle said, placing his hand on my shoulder as I walked past him.

"Night dad," I chuckled, before making my way upstairs.

I didn't get that much sleep that night. Apart from the fact that I couldn't sleep when Bella wasn't lying next to me there were too many thoughts and too much noise to ever get some rest.

After about an hour Emmett, Jasper and Felix came back. We could hear them coming from a miles distance, Emmett's voice booming 'success' through the air.

After they had all gone to bed as well and everything had become quiet again there was still the noise of my thoughts. Thoughts about Bella, the wedding tomorrow, what she would look like, how our live from now on would be.

I had arranged to take Bella and Libby on Honeymoon to the Isle Esme for a few weeks. Esme had offered the island to us almost as soon as we had announced we were getting married. She had been right in saying that it was the perfect place for us to get some rest and just enjoy being together.

She had even offered taking care of Libby so that Bella and I could have some alone time but I had declined that offer. Bella and Libby had been without each other too much already and I remembered clearly how hard it had been for both of them to be apart while Bella had been in London. Apart from that I really wanted Libby to come with us. Ever since I had found out about her my life had been enriched. I couldn't imagine not being a father anymore and even thought I wanted to spend as much time with Bella as possible, I couldn't imagine leaving her behind.

And well……there was always the nights…

--

BPOV

--

"BELLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the annoying high pitched squeal filled the room, waking Libby and me up.

"What's going on Alice?" I groaned, trying to pry my eyes open far enough to glance at the alarm clock.

"You're getting married today!" she sang and I half expected her to start jumping up and down on the bed.

"So?"

"You need to get ready!" She started pulling at my arm, trying to get me to wake up faster.

"Not before I've had breakfast," I growled with a strange sense of déjà vu. Idiot pixie getting me up at stupid o clock in the morning."

"It's your wedding!" Alice huffed. "It's not like you'll fall asleep. You'll be far too nervous for that!"

"Believe me, I would have been a lot more sure of that if you would have just let me get my rest."

Alice's face took on a solemn expression. "I promise to throw my new black Manolo's at you if you do indeed fall asleep during your wedding. Better?"

"Slightly," I sighed, putting on my dressing gown and making my way downstairs to get some breakfast.

"Good morning Bella," Esme called, placing a plate filled with pancakes and a steaming cup of coffee in front of me as soon as I sat down. "Did you sleep well?"

"Tolerable," I sighed.

"Your vows still giving you grieve?" Rose remarked over her bowl of cornflakes.

"Yup."

"Don't worry about them," Esme soothed, sitting down next to me. "I'm sure Edward will love whatever you come up with."

"But that's just the thing!" I cried, almost spitting bits of pancake over the table. "I know that he will say the most heartfelt and lovely thing ever to be thought up by a man and that whatever tripe I come up with can only pale in comparison!"

"Then why on earth did you let him talk you out of using standard vows?" Alice giggled. "You could have known this would be happening."

"He dazzled me," huffed, remembering all too well the full force of his dazzling pouty stare Edward had unleashed on me. That, and of course the things he had done afterwards, still had me trembling on my feet when I remembered it.

"Yes well," Kate chuckled. "You've made your bed, now you have to lie in it!"

"Bitch!" I muttered under my breath.

"But you know you love me," she sang back at me.

"Are you done yet?" Alice asked impatiently, Libby standing next to her, mimicking her impatient stance. It struck me once again how much those two were alike.

"Almost," I chuckled, figuring it would be no use stalling. The torture might last shorter but would probably be more severe.

"Need any help?" Rose offered.

"I could do with some assistance on the hair," Alice replied, holding a few of my tangled and disheveled tresses up with an abhorred look on her face.

"My pleasure," Rose grinned, looking at me with an evil smirk.

"Anything the rest of us can do except hang about the house like ladies of leisure?" Kate asked.

"You can help me put the finishing touches to our backyard," Esme offered.

I groaned, knowing that they got to go to the house and most likely would be able to see Edward, talk to him, hear him laugh, while I was cooped up in here and left at the mercy of the terrible two and the little fashion nazi that was once my little girl.

I spend the next eight hours getting prodded, poked and plucked all over again. I heard the rest of the girl leave and come back again, their laughter resonating through the house, while Rose curled a few loose tresses of my hair and fastened them to my scalp, scraping off a whole layer of skin in the process.

While Rose worked on my hair Alice nearly smothered me in layers of make-up and body shimmer. I cringed at the thought of what I was going to look like when they were done. I was sure it was going to be nothing like my old self.

"There," Alice said, a satisfactory smile appearing on her face. "All done."

"I think we've outdone ourselves," Rose agreed, shaking Alice's hand like they had just clinked a business deal.

"We should do this more often," Alice nodded, shoving me in the general direction of the mirror.

"Not if you intend to use me as the victim," I growled, taking a first glance at my appearance.

Shit.

I had to hand it to them. They had done an amazing job.

Alice had kept my makeup light in spite of the unnerving amount of pots and tubes she had waved in front of my eyes. My pale skin seemed to sparkle in the light that floated through the large balcony doors and my eyes seemed even bigger than they usually were. Learning from her mistakes she had also stuck with a simple nude lipstick and no blush. That last thing because she probably didn't doubt my capability of providing my own blushes. She was probably right.

My hair was behaving itself remarkably well. Rose had beat it into submission with her curling iron and dazzling array of combs and gathered it in a big bun behind my head. She had left a few tresses out of the bun some of which she had braided and rolled around the bun and some she had curled and arranged so that the whole look didn't look too strict and librarian like.

"Well? Whaddaya think?" Alice demanded her body tensed like a spring.

"I think I might be in love with the two of you," I grinned.

"Don't tell the prude," Rose smirked. "I think seeing that picture of Jasper and you was more than enough shock for him."

I chuckled. "You still don't believe his reaction was for real, don't you?"

"Not for one minute," Rose and Alice said in unison.

"Well, believe it or not," I grinned. "There isn't going to be an outburst and tell Jasper to stop apologizing. It's starting to get on my nerves."

It had all been rather comical in the end. One night when the whole gang had gotten together at our place Zafrina and Edward had gotten into a drunken fight over the piano. Zafrina wanted to play and Edward didn't let her so, in an effort to distract him, Zafrina had flung the picture she had taken of Jasper and me in bed in London at him. She didn't know I had told Edward all about it as soon as I got back.

In the end the whole gang had been dumbstruck by Edwards relaxed reaction and Zafrina had been even more angry because not only did she still not manage to play, she had also lost her most valuable blackmail material.

"Can I come in?" Renee asked from the doorstep.

"Yup," Rose said, fastening my veil to my tormented scalp. "We're just about done." She turned to me. "See ya later beautiful," she grinned, planting a light kiss on my cheek before sashaying out of the room.

"Oh Bella," my mom sighed as she walked towards me, tears forming in her eyes. "You look so beautiful. Alice, Rose, you really are amazing."

"Thanks," Alice grinned. "I'll leave you two to chat while I get dressed myself."

"Your father would have been so proud of you if he'd seen you," Renee said, moving around me to appraise the dress. "But I guess he's here in spirit."

"I guess he is," I croaked. It was at times like this that I really missed my father. Emmett had been more than happy to give me away, but it was supposed to have been my dad here with me this morning.

"Damn Squirt!" If you speak of the devil. "You look hot! Are you trying to give the priest a hard on or something?"

"Emmett," I hissed, though the sentiment was quite lost when I started laughing like an idiot.

"Is it time for me to leave already?" Renee asked. The rest of the bridal party – apart from Emmett, Libby, Alice and myself, would be brought to the meadow in advance so that they had time to get seated and recover from the trip before I made my appearance.

The Cullens had really stopped at nothing to make everything perfect. We wanted to get married in the meadow so we would, even though it seemed sheer impossible to get our guests, the priest and all of the seats and stuff out there.

When I had addressed this possible problem Edward and Alice had just shrugged and ordered someone to clear a path through the wood – which I found out they actually owned – ending just a few yards away from the meadow so it didn't disturb the shape and perfection of the place. After the wedding new trees would be planted to compensate for the trees that had to be taken down and in time all evidence of the little trail would be gone.

I guess that's just how things went when you were a Cullen.

"I've been meaning to give you something before I left," Renee said cautiously, knowing how the reluctance to accept gives ran down the female line of the family. She dug into her purse and produced a small white box. "This belonged to your grandma Swan. I thought it would go nicely with your dress and all." I had shown Renee a picture of me in my dress that Alice had taken at the bridal shop when I went for my second fitting. She had written me a six page letter back which was completely devoted to how much she loved it. "It's actually from Emmett, Rose and me. Rose came up with the idea of replacing the paste stones with emeralds."

"You're always going on and on about Edwards eyes. I figured you'd like it," Rose snorted from beside me. She had come back into the room after having changed into her own dress, her hair and make-up having bee done before she started working on me.

"So you do pay attention when someone else is speaking," I chuckled.

"Sometimes,' she replied with an amused glint in her eyes.

I opened the box to reveal a set of heavy silver hair combs, adorned with emeralds. "They are beautiful," I croaked, the tears rising in my throat again. "Thank you so much."

"Now don't go starting with the water works," Emmett said in a shaky voice. "I'd have to resort to even cruder remarks if you start crying on me again."

"Here, let me help you with those," Alice said, returning in a beautiful soft pink dress. She fastened the combs into my hair where the veil started. When she was done it looked like they came with the dress.

"Now," she mused, taking a step back. "You've got something old and something new…….Let's go find you something borrowed."

"Perhaps I can help with that….." Esme's voice sounded from the doorway. "I know I'm not supposed to be here, being the mother of the bride and all, but I couldn't leave without taking a look." She stepped into the room and hugged me, cautious not to disturb my dress or make up. "You look so beautiful Bella. You're going to make him happy. I know it. I knew it the moment he first mentioned your name."She paused to regain her composure. "I would like you to take this," she held up a small white garter. "I wore it on my wedding day and I would be honored if you would borrow it from me."

"Thanks Esme," I sobbed as she helped me slip in into place. "I'll be sure to return it before we leave for our honeymoon."

"Now for something blue…."Alice pondered.

"How's your hand squirt?" Emmett chuckled.

"Yellow," I sighed. The bruises on my knuckles had had virtually every color in the rainbow since last week. Right now they were a sickly greenish yellow. I was glad Alice had been able to get me a pair of gloves in a color to match my dress and veil in time.

"Can we get going?" I asked, my nerves pounding in my throat. Now that everything was done I was incredibly anxious to get it all over with before I tripped, fainted or threw up all over my dress.

"You are not getting married without something blue," Alice stated, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed in front of her, daring anyone to try and get passed her.

"We'll have something blue soon enough if you're not getting the hell out of that doorway pixie," I growled. This was the last thing I needed right now.

"Here I come to save the day!" Zafrina sang, shoving Alice aside and waltzing into the room with the most beautiful bouquet of – mostly blue – wildflowers I had seen in my life. "You can thank me later," she winked at me. "Ladies, we have a minivan to catch!"

All too soon the car returned to pick the remaining four of us up. Alice hadn't been very pleased with the prospect of the bride being driven to her wedding in a large hulky four wheel drive but I had reminded her of the fact that having a limo bump up and down the little wood path they had cleared for us would have been an even more preposterous sight to behold.

Libby had a field day. She loved things like this and being driven right through a forest in a ridiculously big car only added to her excitement. She giggled all the way to the meadow, providing a distraction I was very happy for.

Emmett carried me through the forest to a place a just outside the meadow where, hidden from sight by the foliage, a little tent had been placed to get me sorted out before I had to make my way down the isle. After a final inspection of my dress, hair and makeup I was given the green light by Alice before she left.

"Nervous squirt?" Emmett chuckled.

"Yes," I squeaked. It was like an elephant was sitting on my chest. It was silly really, the only people out there were my friends. Why on earth would I be nervous?

Oh yeah. Just the teeny tiny fact that I had to walk out there in a dress and heels for everyone to gawk at.

"You'll be fine," he sighed, his hand coming up to ruffle my hair as he usually did on these occasions. He only remembered he would probably face the wrath of Alice if he did at the last moment, pulling back and clasping his hands behind his back. "I'm happy for you," he said in that same shaky voice I had heard before, "my baby sister, all grown up and ready to marry the man of her dreams."

"If you're going to go on like this then don't go making fun of me if I cry," I hiccuped, feeling like an emotional mess yet again.

"Let's just divert ourselves by taking a peak at the guest then shall we,' he said, resting his hand on the small of my back as he helped me find a hidden place from where we could spy on the wedding party.

The meadow looked beautiful. Alice had really outdone herself.

The last time I had been here the place had been covered in snow, but the only thing that reminded me of the pristine white surface where the cream colored seats and decoration that stoodout amidst the green of the grass and the flowers in every color of the rainbow that were scattered over the surface of the grass.

I let my eyes trail over the guests, chatting away in anticipation of the ceremony.

On the back row I spotted James, Edwards old friend from college. He and Edward had kept in touch over the years through the occasional phone call and card and of course Edward had helped him get through his nasty divorce from Victoria. The woman he was with now seemed just as fake and viscous as doctor House's new flame. I wondered when we'd be getting the invite to their wedding……

Next I recognized Angela and Ben. I had been so happy they had been able to come to our wedding. We had kept in touch after I had fled from Yale, even though the fact that she lived on the other side of the country prevented us from visiting, there had been a steady flow of e-mails and cards between us.

Further along Heidi, Felix, Bree, Kate and Zafrina had taken their seat and up to the front our family, minus Emmett and Libby who were with me and Garrett, who was Edwards best man were placed.

Edward.

The moment I let my eyes wandered over the small white gazebo all else was forgotten. He looked radiant. Breathtaking. Perfect.

I had always been a great fan of Edward in a suit and the one he was wearing today was no exception to that rule. It was a simple, classic black tuxedo with a pristine white shirt underneath it. I recognized Alice's hand in the vest since it would have been all too coincidental for him to have chosen a vest in the exact same color as the ribbon on my dress.

The sight of him standing there was simply mouth watering. And to think that I was the lucky girl who got to marry him!

"Do I have to tackle you to the ground?" Emmett's booming voice startled me out of my reverie. "You looked like you were going to sprint on ahead of me."

I had no time to comment on his words before I could hear the first bars of Jeff Buckley's _Hallelujah _start to play. Edward and I had selected this song in favor of a more traditional wedding song because it held a special place in both our hearts, not just because it was the most beautiful song known to man, but also because it was affiliated with the greatest changes in our lives.

Edward had played it when he got home that summer after we had met and strangely enough, so had I. It had also been the song that had kept me sane and remotely distracted through childbirth, even though Emmett had complained it made him want to jump out of the window after hearing it four or five times.

"Go Libby," I whispered in her ear as I watched her skip into the clearing in her beautiful little dress.

Alice had had it made especially for her, following the design of my own dress, but making it a little bit more playful and childlike to accentuate the age difference.

Peeking through the foliage I could see her skip over the space in between the two rows of seats. She scattered her flower leaves like a pro, leaving a trail of little white petals for me to walk over.

"Come on squirt," Emmett laughed, holding out his arms to me. "We're up to bat."

I glanced at him before taking a deep breath and stepping out of my hiding place and into the light.

--

EPOV

--

I must have dozed off somewhere during the night because the next thing I saw it was nine o clock and time to get up. I ate a quick breakfast, helped Esme and the rest of the girls put the finishing touches to the garden and dressed in my suit.

Then the waiting began.

I never knew time could go by that slowly until that day. Not even Emmett's remarks could make the waiting become remotely more pleasant, though I did have to admit that Emmett was rather limited in his array of crude remarks since his own sister was the bride.

I helped Esme and the girls put the finishing touches to the backyard before retreating behind my piano to divert myself until it was time to go to the meadow. It was of no use of course. Every song I played reminded me of Bella and how much I wanted to get married to her, which would make me look at the clock to see how much time was left before we could leave.

"Wake up Edwina," Emmett finally boomed. "It's time to get married."

We piled into a jeep Emmett had hired and quickly made our way to the meadow. Emmett waved at us as we retreated. The lucky bastard would go over to Bella to collect her and walk her down the isle.

The pictures Alice had drawn of the decoration hadn't done it justice. The place looked amazing. She had enhanced the natural look by keeping things simple. The white wooden seats for the guests were placed in the grass so that they were sitting amidst a sea of wild flowers and colors.

There was a little gazebo in the middle of the grass, where the actual wedding would take place. The pillars of the little building had been decorated with garlands of green leaves and white flowers. The chairs had been arranged around one half of the gazebo with an isle leading through the middle.

In about half an hour and Bella would be walking down that isle.

I talked to my family and friends. Apart from those who had been staying with us over the weekend some of our old family friends had flown in as well. The total of the wedding guests didn't amount to more than forty people though, just as we wanted it.

Jacob hadn't returned after he had stormed out of the house last night. Part of me hand been relieved by that fact, another part had started to worry.

What if he did go to Bella? Would he have gotten past Alice? What would he have said? Would Bella have listened to him? What if…….

No.

Bella loved me. Bella was going to marry me. She never loved Jacob. If she would have run off with him – which was a preposterous idea to even entertain in the first place – someone would have told me by now.

Keep calm. Keep breathing.

In just about ten minutes you'll be married. Joined forever. All fears forever gone.

"You alright there Edward?" Garrett asked, sensing my panic.

"Just last minute worries," I whispered back, seeing Alice take her seat in the front row. When she saw me she winked at me and stuck two thumbs up.

I looked over the first row of guests. Esme looked like she was crying already, holding onto Carlisle's hand for dear life. Alice had taken her place next to Jasper, whispering something in his ear. He looked at her, his eyes shining with love and admiration. I wondered how long it would take before my sister would be walking down the isle.

To the other side I saw Rose, little Charlie on her lap, looking longingly towards the edge of the clearing. Emmett and Rose may be trying to fool everyone with their constant bickering and snide an/or crude remarks but deep down they were jut as in love as Bella and I were.

Renee sat next to Rose, fidgeting nervously with her handkerchief while Phil tried to calm her down a little. I actually liked Phil. He was just the kind of calm, laid back person someone like Renee needed and you could see his influence on her as clear as the light of day.

During her stay here Renee had been behaving herself remarkably well. She could be very pleasant if she put her mind to it, though there was always that threat of explosion underneath that still made everyone move on tiptoe when around her.

"Time to face the enemy," Garrett snickered, as the music started to play.

From the moment the first bars of Hallelujah resounded through the meadow all worries and doubts were erased. It was finally happening. We would finally be married.

_Well I heard there was a secret chord  
That David played, and it pleased the Lord  
But you don't really care for music, do ya?  
Well it goes like this  
The fourth, the fifth  
The minor fall and the major lift  
The baffled king composing Hallelujah  
Hallelujah _

I couldn't remember how often I had heard this song. I had played it over and over again that horrible summer when Bella and I had been so cruelly forced apart. The soft, mellow tones of the songs reminded me of Bella and the passion in the words of those perfect moments we had shared before hell broke loose upon us.

_Well Your faith was strong but you needed proof  
You saw her bathing on the roof  
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you  
she tied you to her kitchen chair  
And she broke your throne and she cut your hair  
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah  
Hallelujah _

Libby skipped along the isle, throwing petals around her and grinning at me as she went. This wedding would bind her to me as much as it would bind her mother to me and to symbolize that we had had a ring made for her especially, a smaller version of our wedding rings.

_Well baby I've been here before  
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor  
I used to live alone before I knew ya  
I've seen your flag on the marble arch  
Love is not a victory march  
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah  
Hallelujah_

"Hello daddy," she sang, coming up to me and motioning for me to bow down so she could give me a kiss. "Mommy looks like and angel today," she whispered before she took her place opposite me under the gazebo.

The moment Bella stepped out into the light all other thoughts were forgotten. I didn't see or hear or feel anything else than her and my love for her.

God she was beautiful.

The almost antique looking lace dress flowed around her like cloud, tried to her tiny, fragile frame with a soft golden ribbon. The veil adding an almost halo like effect to her head.

She truly was an angel.

Soon to be my angel.

She walked cautiously, her eyes on the floor beneath her feet, until she was about halfway. Then she glanced up to me and I was done for.

Her beauty overthrew me.

Her beautiful large brown eyes sparked as never before as she proceeded to move towards me, blushing that delightful shade of pink that I had come to love so much.

_Well there was a time when you let me know  
What's really going on below  
But now you never show that to me do you?  
And remember when I moved in you?  
And the holy dove was moving too  
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah  
Hallelujah_

The only thing that prevented me from running out to her and kissing every surface of her skin I could reach was the fact that she was moving towards me to be joined to me in matrimony. I took a deep breath. I would have to keep it together for a few more hours.

I could do that right? I sure hoped so.

"Take good care of her buddy," Emmett, said as he handed my Bella over to me. "And I'll still break your legs if you ever do her harm."

"I'm counting on it," I said, never taking my eyes off the vision of beauty standing before me. Her big brown eyes looked up to me, sparkling with love and trust as she stood beside me, a small tear glistening in the corner of one of them.

I reached my hand to wipe it away feeling her lean into my touch, as father Ralph began the service. I didn't hear a single word of what he was saying up until the moment of our wedding vows. It was simply impossible to focus my attention on anything else than the angel standing next to me.

"Bella," I said, taking her tiny right hand in mine as I turned to look at her. "From the moment I met you six years ago you have had me under your spell. Your love has been my beacon, an ever fixing mark that lead me through the dark and into your arms. I found love and peace again when I never expected to ever find love and peace again. I found hope and light when my whole world seemed to be covered in darkness and despair." I took a deep breath, wiping a tear from Bella's cheek and glancing a look at Libby before I continued. "You have given me the most precious gifts a man can be given – love, life – and I will never cease to show you how grateful I am for that, my love, my angel, my Bella……my wife"

I lifted her hand and placed a light kiss on it before I glanced back into her face, signaling for her to speak.

"Edward, my love," she started in an unsteady, shaky voice. She took a deep breath before continuing, her voice sounding stronger and more determined this time. "Before I met you I didn't believe in love, true love. I had read about it, dreamed about it but I never thought it was really possible. Then you came along and even though my head was screaming at me that this was impossible, that I was unworthy of a man as amazing and perfect as you are, my heart knew otherwise. It had found it's other half." She paused, wiping her tears away with a handkerchief. "Even through all the years we spend apart and all the mistakes we made in those years and since we have gotten back together your love has always been my home, my base. It makes me want to be a better person so that I can be all that you deserve. I love you, with all my heart and all my soul and both of them are yours forever."

I couldn't stop a tear from falling. I knew it wasn't the most manly thing to do, boy's don't cry and all that shit, but I couldn't help it. Her words cut a path straight into my heart. 'I love you,' I mouthed to her as the priest continued to speak.

"Now that both Edward and Bella have declared their love for one another it is time for the official joining of these two people in holy matrimony. May I have the rings?"Father Ralph asked, taking the rings from Garrett before he continued. "Let us pray. Bless, O Lord, the giving and receiving of these rings. May Edward Antony Cullen and Isabella Marie Swan abide in Thy peace and grow in their knowledge of Your presence through their loving union. May the seamless circle of these rings become the symbol of their endless love and serve to remind them of the holy covenant they have entered into today to be faithful, loving, and kind to each other. Dear God, may they live in Your grace and be forever true to this union. Amen."

I turned one again to take Bella's hand and slid her ring into place, taking care not to hurt her bruised hand too much, before looking straight into her eyes and repeating the words father Ralph spoke. "Isabella, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed."

Bella blushed slightly before grasping my hand firmly in hers and easing my ring down the thrid finger of my hand. "Edward, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed."

Then, the moment in which I could finally kiss my bride arrived. I wrapped one arm around her tiny waist, the other cradling her face before I dipped in to brush my lips against hers. She surprised me by kissing me back with more passion and fervor than I had thought her capable off, leaving us both panting for breath amidst booming laughter and catcalls from our friends when we finally broke apart.

"My wife," I whispered, brushing my hand over her reddened cheek.

"My husband," she whispered back, her eyes never leaving mine.

I didn't want this moment to end because right now, all was as it should be.

Perfect.

* * *

_**I've hardly ever been to weddings myself so I hope I did an okay job on this one. As you may have noticed the wedding-part of this chapter leans heavily on Breaking Dawn and I borrowed some lines from the book.**_

_**Also to give you a heads up: this was the penultimate chapter to this story, though it may not necessarily mean a definitive farewell to these characters. Only the epilogue remains. Any guesses to what I might have up my sleeve for that one? It's not a veery difficult guess. I know.**_

**_Please let me know what you thought of this. I hope there weren't too many errors. I kind of had to rush through the editing process to get everything done in time. _**


	40. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

* * *

**Epilogue.**

"He has you nose," Edward whispered, his voice laced with awe and love as he looked at our newborn son.

"And your hair," I laughed, looking at the little tuft of reddish brown hair on his head. "It's even as messy as you're is!"

I tried to lean to the side to watch the two of them more closely. I couldn't keep my eyes off them, even though I was still very tired and sore after just giving birth. As soon as I looked at little Masen though, that didn't matter anymore.

"Here," Edward said, handing our son over to me again and climbing into the bed with me, wrapping his strong arms around me. "Better?"

"Much," I whispered, getting as comfortable as I could in his arms while we both watched the tiny little miracle that was now sleeping in my arms.

Our lives after the wedding had been a whirlwind of love and happiness.

Edward had whisked Libby and me away for a honeymoon on the Isle Esme, a private island Carlisle had bought for his wife to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their wedding.

Our days there had been filled exploring the island, swimming and just lying on the beach watching Libby play in the sand.

Our nights had been filled with passionate lovemaking, which as it proved had not been entirely fruitless. Now, almost nine months to the date after our wedding we had been able to welcome little Masen into our lives. Our happiness was truly complete.

"Mommy!" I could hear Libby running towards our room through the corridor, remembering right at the last moment who was in the room with us and slowing down until she tiptoed into the room.

I had expected the rest of our family to come charging into the room with her but they didn't. I guess someone – probably Carlisle or Esme – had decided to let us have a little moment with just our family first for which I was profoundly thankful. I only wondered how on earth they had managed to keep Alice back.

"Can I see him?" she asked, her eyes glistening in happy anticipation.

"Of course honey," Edward laughed, lifting her up and sitting her on his lap next to me.

"He's so tiny," she whispered, watching in awe as her little brother slept in my arms. "Can I touch him?"

"Careful," I warned, stifling a yawn. "You don't want to wake him."

Libby raised her hand cautiously and tentatively and trailed one small finger over Masens cheek. "I think he likes me!" she giggled when her little brother let out a little snort and angled his face towards her. "Hello little brother," she whispered, leaning close to him, "I'm your big sister and I'm going to take great care of you." She leaned in an gave him a little kiss on his forehead, Masen never waking up for one moment. I guess the birth had been just as tiring for him as it had been for me.

"Bella?" Esme asked from the doorway. "Is it all right if we come in?"

"Of course," I said. I knew Edward had taken little Masen to meet the rest of his family while I had been asleep but I guessed that they couldn't get enough of him. I couldn't really blame them.

"Just for a few moments," Edward warned. "Bella really needs to sleep."

"I know Edward," Esme chuckled. "I've given birth myself, remember?"

The rest of our family came filing in after her, Alice uncharacteristically quiet and calm as she sat down net to me.

"What's the matter pixie?" I yawned. I might have been tired as hell but I wasn't so tired I couldn't feel something was out of the ordinary.

"Nothing," she shrugged, looking at Jasper. "I think it's just that I can't wait to have what you're having." She grinned, looking at me. "Well…..apart from bad taste in clothes and sex with my brother."

"That's the Alice I know and love," I chuckled. "And by the way.......I think Jasper would be just as eager to deliver as Edward was!" I added, winking at her.

Who's having sex with her brother?" Emmett's voice boomed through the room.

"Emmett!" Edward hissed as Masen, currently resting in Esme's arms, let out a little whimper and started squirming.

"Here honey," she said, handing my little boy over to me before glaring daggers at my brother. "I think he might be hungry."

"Hey sis," Emmett whispered, giving me a cautious hug. "Good work! I'm glad to see you produced one who looks more like a Swan then a Cullen."

"Poor kid," Alice spat back. "I feel for the poor little sod if he looks anything like you."

"Put a sock in it pixie," Emmett growled.

"For Gods sake will the two of you just shut up?" Edward snarled. "Go play in a sandbox or something."

"We'd better leave," Esme smiled, "Bella needs to feed the baby and the last thing she could use for that is an audience."

"Thanks Esme," I whispered. Judging by the sounds Masen was producing and the way my breasts were feeling it was indeed dinner time. I swear, it felt like they would start to squirt out milk with the ferocity of a water canon any minute now. Still, I didn't feel comfortable popping my boobs out in public, especially not when that public included my brother and father in law.

"I don't wanna leave," Emmett whined. "I love babies!"

"Shut up you big baby!" Rose giggled, winking at me before whispering something in my brothers ear. Judging by the way Emmett changed color and backed out of the room as if it was on fire she had probably told him why it would be better to leave.

"We'll go back to get everything ready for when the three of you come home," Esme said, kissing the three of us goodbye before following Emmett and Rose.

Carlisle and Esme had temporarily moved in with us. Esme hadn't taken no for an answer when she had turned up on our doorstep with four suitcases one day. She was determined to take care of me during the last stages of my pregnancy and first weeks after the baby was born. She had even been prepared to leave Carlisle behind in Chicago to do it.

Being pampered by her was a whole new sensation. I had been taken care of before but Emmett and my mom where never really cut out to be caregivers. Esme was quite the different story. Mothering was like a second nature to her and between Edwards constant attention, Libby talking to the baby every day for at least half an hour so he 'wouldn't get bored hanging around in mommy's tummy all day' and Esme's care I had never felt so loved before.

A few weeks after the wedding I had received a postcard from Jacob in which he apologized profusely for his behavior on the night before my wedding. He told me that he had decided to give Leah another chance even though he wasn't entirely sure she deserved it. He told me to be happy and think of him every now and then.

I wrote him a reply saying him there were no hard feelings and that I wished him all the best, whatever path his life might take. I knew when I wrote it that it would be some time before Jacob and I would see each other again. I hoped that time and experience would enable us to have something of the friendship that had been strained by history back.

Renee had been a little jealous of the bond that had developed between Esme and me when she had flown in a few days ago, but she had accepted things as they were. I could see in her eyes that I hurt her to see how much more relaxed and open I was around Esme than I was around her but I think she had accepted it. Or else she never mentioned her displeasure to me. I guess people can change after all.

"I can't believe my baby had another baby," Renee hiccuped, almost smothering Edward in her chest as she hugged him, never taking her eyes off me and Masen. "Look at you....all grownup and happy."

"Thanks mom!" The fact that she acknowledges my happiness, even though I may not have gone about securing it in the way she might have wanted, meant a lot to me.

"I've never been more happy to be wrong in my life," she said, kissing the top of my head before leaving the room, followed by Alice, Jasper and Carlisle.

"Should I call for a nurse?" Edward asked. The first time I had fed Masen, almost right after he had been born, a nurse had been there to show me how to hold him and such.

"No, I think I remember what she said. I'd like to try first if that's okay," I said.

"It's fine love," he chuckled, scooting next to me on the bed.

Feeling my baby latch on to my breast and watching him feed was the oddest, most amazing thing in the world. Edward and I both gaped at the little wonder we had created.

Masen fell asleep again right after he had had enough to drink and had been burped and changed and I had to admit that I was quite ready to get some more rest as well. I had gotten a little nap after they had brought me back to my room but that hadn't been near enough.

"I'd better let you get some sleep love," Edward said as he placed Masen– who was still sleeping- back in his crib close to the bed.

"Don't leave," I whispered.

"I wouldn't dream of it my love," he purred, closing the door before climbing back into bed with me and enveloping me in his arms. "I love you. So much. You have given me everything I've ever wanted and more."

"And so have you," I whispered, leaning back in his arms so that I could look at him.

"I love you," he repeated, kissing me softly and lovingly. "Sleep my Bella. My love."

As I snuggled back into his arms while he hummed my lullaby I realized that it had all been worth it.

The pain.

The horrible years of separation.

All of the mistakes I had made.

The stupid and thoughtless things I had done.

They had all been worth it.

They had led me to him.

To us.

To our happily ever after.

**THE END.**

* * *

_**That's it my lovelies! The end of this story..........but maybe not the last we've seen of these characters. **_

_**Writing this story has been such an amazing process for me to go through and I've enjoyed every minute of it. The response to it has knocked me off my feet and has been a support to me during a very difficult time in my life (all I'm saying about it is that chapters 37 and 38 have me living vicariously through Bella). I'm not very confident about my writing (as you may have gathered from my author's notes) so every review, even if it was just to ask me when I was going to update again, and every time the number of hits on my story crept upwards, gave me a little bit more confidence to keep going even when I thought what I was doing was crap.**_

_**Right when I had resolved to end this story on a round chapter number and was getting ready to say farewell to these characters an idea popped into my had that no amount of booze over the holidays has been able to erase. Right now it's still in the beginning stages and I'm still not entirely sure if it ever will get developed (who am I kidding?) but if it will I'm pretty sure you're all going to hate me come chapter 5. Right now the idea of the sequel is called 'Foundations' and if you want to get a sneak peak at the way I will be torturing some of my characters in this story go listen to the sing 'Foundations' by Kate Nash (especially the chorus). Just remember that (most of the times) I'm a happily ever after girl.**_

_**Before I start on a sequel though I have two other stories that demand my attention. The first one is Carlisle's Angels of which the fourth chapter will be published on Wednesday. I hope that, even though the prospect of Bella, Alice and Rosalie running around fighting crime while firing one liners at one another may have you scared, you'll give the story a chance. Even though the tone of the story will be different it will still be written by the same writer and I can't help sneaking a lot of romance, character development and personal demons that will have to be fought in there. **_

_**The second one is yet to be written and will be an all vamp story. It will be more along the lines of My Mistakes in tone and development, though much shorter.**_

_**All that rests now is to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for giving this story a chance. I would hug you all if my arms were long enough to reach.......**_

_**Love. **_

_**Katja (miss baby). **_


	41. The sequel is up!

Hi everyone!

Thanks again for reading My Mistakes were Made for You. The support this story has gathered has meant a lot to me and continues to amaze me. I am therefore happy to announce that I've just posted the first chapter of the sequel. It's called Foundations and you can find a link to it on my author's page.

I hope you'll like it!

Love.

MissBaby


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